In a world where the only way to rise to the top of the social ladder is through social media fame, Instagram users on the University’s campus are scrambling to figure out how to increase their online presence.

Bella Bucknell-West ’18 has maximized her Instagram social capital by boasting a high follower-to-following ratio. However, with so many followers, the pressure to post only the most high quality pictures that are guaranteed to offer her at minimum 300 likes has become too much.

“I already had a real Instagram account but the likes were sort of lagging a bit so I figured I might as well make another account in hopes that people will ‘like’ it better,” Bucknell-West said.

The insecurity that her life is not as beautiful, fun, or thrilling as her followers’ lives has led Bucknell-West to turn to a “finsta” or fake Instagram account. By being more selective with her followers, this “finsta” has allowed her to show her humorous side by posting embarrassing shots of her paired with stream-of-consciousness captions.

By drawing attention to questionable Wednesday-night decisions, awkward interactions with former hookups, and embarrassing moments on the main floor of the library, Bucknell-West has found that while her life may be painfully awkward and overwhelmingly uneventful, the likes she receives on her finsta posts reassure her that at least she’s not alone.

“All my friends tell me that I’m really funny so I thought, hey, why not share the crazy stuff that happens to me? Unflattering hungover selfies are kind of my specialty,” Bucknell-West said.