As a geriatric millennial, I can remember a time when you added every single person you met on social media. Briefly introduced to someone new at a frat party? Added on Facebook. Take a pic with someone at the boat rave? Added on Facebook and Instagram. You get the idea. These days, influencers aside, people seem to be more discerning about sharing their accounts with others. Some even have «finstas» and «rinstas» to keep some of their content within their intimate social circles. 

Being more choosy about who you share your selfies and food pics with comes with one annoying dilemma: how to avoid giving your info to people you don’t want to share it with. For example, my mother-in-law. She is obsessed with social media and is constantly prying to see if she can become my «friend» on Instagram. On her birthday, I finally added her on Facebook, without telling her that I only use it for work. She was thrilled. Unfortunately, not everyone has a dummy account with which to placate people. Some people get flustered and stammer when trying to find the right response to «What’s your Insta?» 

Twitter user @gremlita turned to the bird app for help with this exact dilemma, asking followers (and non-followers) to share best practices for when you do not want people to see your socials. While many people responded with jokey answers, there were some valuable tips in the mix, tips that we’ll definitely be utilizing in the near future.