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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Who or what is most-followed Instagram account? Hint: It’s not Selena Gomez anymore

June 30 is National Social Media Day, a holiday that on first glance sounds … ridiculous. The day is to recognize the effect social media has had on modern life, a time to comprehend just how big a role it plays. The following list outlines the top 11 most-followed Instagram accounts, which, being so widely regarded, influence trends among Instagram’s more than 1 billion users.

National Geographic (@natgeo), 138 million followers: National Geographic photographers share photos and explicative captions several times a day. This account will expand your view of the world through the lenses of many talented photographers who have traveled all over the globe experiencing cultures, geographies and more that we can enjoy from our homes.

Neymar Jr. (@neymarjr), 139 million followers: Hailing from Brazil, Neymar Jr. is one of three soccer players in the top 10 – the only three athletes. A Paris Saint-Germain forward, Neymar’s feed is made up of match and training photos, videos of his son, vacations, fashion and more.

Beyoncé (@beyonce), 148 million followers: Performance and modeling work, personal life and – of late – activism all fill musician, producer and model Beyoncé’s feed. Husband Jay Z makes an occasional appearance among the extensive outfits and photo shoots from her work with companies like Adidas.

Lionel Messi (@leomessi), 155 million: Argentinian forward Lionel Messi is another soccer star. Almost all his posts are from matches or videos he’s done with his sponsors. However, the occasional family picture will fall in to shake things up. He has an enormous and adorable dog that can be seen in some videos and a rare few photos.

Kim Kardashian (@kimkardashian), 175 million followers: Perhaps the most famous reality-TV star ever, Kim Kardashian’s Instagram is a reel of modeling photos with occasional appearances from husband Kanye West and daughter North West. If fashion and reality TV are your thing, her account is a good place to go.

Selena Gomez (@selenagomez), 180 million followers: Previously (four years ago) the most-followed person on Instagram, actress and musical artist Selena Gomez’s account is full of snapshots from her personal life and social media activism. Recently, she decided to use her large influence on social media to give a platform to leaders of color, letting them take over her account for a day.

Kylie Jenner (@kyliejenner), 181 million followers: Model Kylie – half-sister of Kardashian – has a feed filled with posts demonstrating her skin care and makeup brands (tagged in the bio) embellished with modeling photos and shots of her daughter. Essentially a lifestyle account, her aesthetic is opulent and her posts accompanied by brief or emoji captions.

Dwayne Johnson (@therock), 187 million followers: Actor, businessman and former wrestler the Rock’s profile is full of content. It is made up of promotional posts, workouts, advocacy, health advice and tequila (he founded a tequila company). An entertaining personality, he is sure to liven up your feed.

Ariana Grande (@arianagrande), 191 million followers: Musical artist Ariana Grande promotes her work, shares photos from photo shoots and of her dogs and keeps active on her story. Recently, she has been sharing resources to register voters and support Black Lives Matter and the recent protests.

Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano), 225 million followers: The most-followed person in the world is Portuguese soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Training and match photos are interspersed with snapshots from his home life. Elaborate birthday cakes, cute photos of his kids and family outings are just some of Ronaldo’s posts.

Instagram (@instagram), 354 million followers: Is it cheating to be the most-followed account on your own social media platform? Probably. But the Instagram account is not really about Instagram so much as highlights from content creators on the platform. Instagram uses its immense following (leading the list by 130 million followers) to give a platform to users artists, activists or otherwise.