Here’s a handy little guide on how to come up with your finsta name

If you've even breathed in the direction of Instagram in the last year or so, you know what a finsta is — a fake Instagram account where your dumbass friends share their drunk snaps, their speeding tickets, and embarrassing nudes they'd never want anyone IRL to see. If you clicked on this lil link, you've probably decided to bite the bullet and make a finsta of your own. It's not like it's hard. You're just sharing your moments of delinquency, your photoshoot outtakes, and your grossest DMs. The hardest part is really coming up with a handle that's not dumb as fuck. And we're here to help. Here's a guide on how to come up with your finsta name.

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Start by deciding how ~visible~ you want to be

Different people use their finstas in different ways. Some people only invite their core group of friends to follow their misadventures, while others have upwards of 100 of their kinda-close friends in their followers list. That's kinda crazy if you're posting scandalous shit, but do what makes you happy.

Decide how visible you want your finsta to be, so you can decide how much identifying info you want to put in your username. Honestly, a name pun or a disgusting play on your nickname always makes for a fun finsta.

Then, choose a jumping off point

Now that you know if you want to identify by your name or only a secret codename given to you in a treehouse once in second grade, you can really get started.

One tactic? Choose something close to you — like your name, your nickname, a hobby or sport or team you love — then try to put a spin on it. Make it a pun or a joke.

A REALISTIC example from real-ass life? My name is Una, and I made my finsta a twist on Luna Lovegood: 'unalovesgood.' Iconic. She's my profile pic too, if you were wondering.

Another tactic? Just make it an inside joke your followers will get and appreciate. Like, if your friends from school make fun of you because you puked up Four Lokos once, make your name 'fourlokofucker' or something like that. This one is fun because when new friends follow you, you get to tell your embarrassing story. Nothing is easier to bond over than self-depreciation.

If you're feeling really unoriginal, you can use a generator

There are actual websites that generate a finsta handle for you. If you're super uninspired, you can use one. But if you're seriously so boring you can't write one joke, how are you interesting enough to have any posts in your finsta? Let me know.

Have your best friends approve

I can't like… see through your screen and let you know if your potential username is really lame. So, ask a few friends if your name is finsta approved. They'll let you know. You know, if they're good friends.

But ultimately guys, having a finsta is fun because you don't have to give a fuck about what anyone thinks. Just have a good time with your reckless self. Y'all keep me young. Xoxo.

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