The word finsta has been used to describe an individual’s “fake Instagram,” in which a person shares private posts to only close friends and family. However, this summer the term finsta took a different meaning when film Instagram accounts began to take over the social media site.
These film pictures are being taken mostly on disposable cameras. Companies like Kodak and Fujifilm have sold these cameras since the 1980s.
In the past year, many influencers have contributed to popularizing film again by creating Instagram accounts dedicated to sharing photos that they have taken on disposable cameras.
Popular YouTuber David Dobrik is among the many influencers who have started a film Insta (@davidsdisposables) where he shares pictures of his friends and gives a glimpse into their Los Angeles lives as content creators. Dobrik’s first finsta picture was posted June 15. Since then he has amassed over 1.4 million followers (including myself, of course).
Other celebrities and influencers who have film accounts include: supermodel Gigi Hadid (@gisposable), as well as YouTube stars Tana Mongeau (@tanatookthese) and Matt King (@matt.took.this).
So why are disposable cameras so trendy all of a sudden? I believe in the last five years, the younger generation has found an appreciation for analog devices including record players, 8 tracks and, of course, film cameras.
Ever since the invention of the smartphone and laptops we’ve digitized everything we have in our lives: notes, calendars, CDs, movies, books, magazines, photos, and basically anything else I can think of. Even apps like FaceTime and Skype have taken the place of physical interactions. So being able to hold something physically, like a picture taken on a camera, is something almost sort of new for us (well, not really).
Physical copies of photographs, music and even art are considered “aesthetic” for many teenagers and young adults on social media. Whatever that means.
Popular stores such as Urban Outfitters have added record players, vinyl records, cassette tapes, Polaroid cameras and 35mm film cameras to their list of inventory due to the rising popularity of analog devices. Musicians are also selling their own vinyl records on their merch stores for everyone to purchase.
Going back to the disposable camera trend, I have become obsessed with film, the developing process and the actual photos. So much so, that I have even opened an Instagram account to showcase my pictures to friends and family.
There is something about taking a picture and waiting to know how it came out that feels so satisfying. We have become used to seeing a picture instantly after it’s taken and being able to retake a shot, that we lose the authenticity of a moment. Which is not the case for pictures taken on film.
Film photos are taken in the moment and have no “delete” or “retake” option. You are able to snap the shot and move on to the next without your best friend begging you to retake her picture because the pose was awkward. We’ve all
been there.
I truly believe that this is the coolest trend to resurface since colorful windbreakers made their comeback from the ’80s, and ’90s-inspired small-framed sunglasses flooded stores this summer.
Society has a strange way of deciding what becomes hip and when, but I’m excited for the future of analog devices. Hopefully, companies that specialize in these products continue to find ways to combine the old with the new.
Oh, and that David Dobrik posts his disposable pictures forever and ever!
