It’s been almost a year (already!?) since my last countdown of my Top 10 Favorite Instagram Accounts, so I figured it’s about time to write a new one. If you’re on that app and you don’t follow these yet, you might want to.

As with the first list, I’m limiting this to non-religious and non-political content creators. (You may notice that some of these do occasionally share their personal political beliefs; for the record, I do not necessarily agree nor disagree with any of them. I don’t follow them for their politics.) I wanted to compile a collection that anyone can enjoy; and because, honestly, imo, social media like IG should be for lighthearted fun and/or random curiosities rather than serious philosophical conversations.

Not that I don’t follow, and enjoy, some religious and political accounts. I do. I just also miss the days when we got our news from the local paper or radio station, and our religious instruction from our parish church or a good spiritual book, and that was that. I miss the days when the internet was just a novelty, something extra, a nifty toy to play around with. Not a necessity. A place for kicks and giggles. A place that you could drop in on, and then leave.

Social media: we all know that it is a cesspool. What is it even good for? Anything? I’ve said it before and will say it again: the best social media accounts are the ones that make you go: “yes! This, this right here, this is why I come to the internet. Surely this is what it was invented for!”

It’s in this spirit that I’ve compiled the following list. Without further ado,

Honorable Mention goes to @taylorrochemusic for his now-apparently-discontinued “cranking that soulja boy in songs it doesn’t need to be cranked in” series of reels. He appears to have deleted nearly all of them from his profile?! I wish he still made these. The joke never got old!

20. @getpovd. If you were to ask me to summarize my sense of humor, I’d just show you one of these reels, in which bro just approaches strangers on the street and, without saying a word, shows them physical, printed-out images of internet brainrot, and records their reactions. For some reason, the fact that he carries them around in physical form makes it so much funnier. Probably staged but oh well. Would place higher on this list if not for all the ads for some gambling app. (NSFW)

19. @bathfoods. Just random unhinged images of food in bathtubs.

18. @whatstacydid. Imagine being Stacy and getting paid to do this! She posts the most beautiful, atmospheric travel pics from the UK, guaranteed to make you want to move to the UK.

17. @ihearcanvas. When it comes to music, I’m generally not big on covers (unless they’re truly spectacular), but I love me some remixes and mashups. And this DJ, whom I’ve discovered only recently, creates some of the best. Linked here is his mashup of “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed x “No Limit” by G-Eazy, which is better than the sum of its parts and probably the shiniest little musical gem that I’ve ever discovered on this godforsaken app.

16. @notreallywellness. Dude runs a random “5k a day” in the most absurd places, such as: on top of a fridge, in a bathtub, on top of his friend Noah, etc. You will not regret following.

15. @airromusic. Another cool DJ with fire mashups, but I love this account specifically because of his “Does It Creed?” series, in which he mashes up random songs with Creed songs. And surprisingly, most of them do, indeed, Creed.

14. @hessomid. A true hero. I’m obsessed with her “Men’s Response To…” series, in which she calls out and makes fun of the sleazy scumbags in the comment sections who say disgusting things about female celebrities. Very important, very enlightening (if only I’d seen these when I was a teenager!), also very hilarious (the way she’ll censor out the fish’s face, but not the guy’s, lol). “Nothing was being offered” — I need that on a t-shirt.

13. @coji_n. Not even sure how this content ended up in my algorithm, but I’m here for it. Just a really good photographer in Japan. These photos are always stunning, and always a little serene pause, a breath of cool fresh air, in my feed. I do not understand the captions, but the images speak for themselves.

12. @existentialcrisiscakes. An amazing cake decorator who tops her lovely little cakes with rather unexpected quotes and phrases.

11. @x_emo_realtor_x. Genius-tier marketing concept!: as ’00s emo kids are attaining forever-home-buying age, this company in Portland (“rainy day real estate” lol) sure knows how to cater to their aching nostalgia. I’m almost tempted to move out there just to buy from them.

10. @beautiful.classic.world. The name says it all: they simply post beautiful classic paintings every day, most of which I’ve never seen before, all of which make me feel uplifted and soul-level refreshed and like I’m not just wasting my time on social media.

9. @that_girl_in_debt. My favorite “de-influencer” and favorite parenting account. As moms, social media can make us feel like we’re failing morally if we are in messy, chaotic living situations and/or financial situations. Megan here is on a mission to disprove that, and I love her for it.

8. @northvalleygrp. My other favorite parenting account on IG. Just relatable/funny reels about having kids, all of them 10/10.

7. @james_jelin, specifically for his reels that poke fun at diet culture, like the one linked here. We’ve all known this girl. We’ve all worked with her. We’ve all rolled our eyes at her. James’s impression of her is so flawless it’s actually aggravating, lol.

6. @legitpat. The accuracy, the nostalgia, the delivery. The poses! The reel linked here sums up how I feel every time I post on this stupid blog.

5. @equestrianvogue. Now this is what I call “lifestyle porn”, lol. Every post, I’m ogling it and fantasizing about living that sort of life.

4. @suckbagsart. My other other favorite parenting account! His little comics about life with a toddler and a baby are solid gold.

3. @there_i_ruined_it. The best musical account on the internet. He takes songs and turns them into… other songs. Every single post has me cry-laughing. (NSFW)

2. @celina52truckstop. This is actually a real place (!?!), but, you’ll be relieved to know that their content is made up. Nonetheless, I’m very invested in their deranged little story and all its recurring characters like Nevaeh Petty and Gay Manager Jacob. Just the weirdest and most surreal humor.

And finally, the award for Best Account on Instagram goes to:

1. @nutterbutter. If you’re not already aware of Nutter Butter’s social media presence… I can’t describe it for you. You just have to see it. Click on it, I dare you.