With 113,000 Instagram followers, @Santa’s Instagram account is teeming with activity tonight. The last post, which simply reads “Merry Christmas,” was published about fives hours ago and has over 1,500 comments as of 10:00PM. Some of those commenters are spreading the holiday cheer, while others are crushing children’s dreams with each refresh.
“Merry Christmas Santa!” writes a user, whose profile photos and corresponding timeline suggest an age much younger than 13, Instagram’s minimum age requirement. “Left out mince pie and milk,” posts another child. “Is Santa real?” asks someone else. Interspersed with these seemingly innocent acknowledgments, is the hard reality.
“I’m 11 and Santa fake okay,” chimes in a person calling themselves Chloe. After being reprimanded for telling the truth about Santa by another commenter, she fires back: “Do I care? Jeez woman [@ redacted user] are you like 3? My sister, she’s 3 and don’t believe in him.”
This is just one of many of many examples of the types of conversations taking place in the comment section of Santa’s IG. Some of the commenters are on totally on the fence: “I’m not saying I believe in him, but each place is different times so he goes to places at night and moves on to the next place at night.” Others are more resolute: “Santa is real. So stfu!”
Seemingly older users ratcheted the discussion up a notch: “These arguments whether or not Santa is real is evidence as to why young children should not get Instagram accounts and iPhones. We live in quite a spoiler world these days.”
“Instagram is 13+,” notes a concerned user to Chloe, “but that doesn’t stop 9 year olds from coming on here [@ redacted user]. If your 3-year-old sister doesn’t believe in santa, that’s pretty sad. She’s gonna grow up with imagination if you don’t believe in santa that’s fine, but don’t spoil it for other kids.”
Then shit got really heated between commenters and a persistent Santa denier: “YO BITCHES I never said I want to “ruin their lives” or whatever. If they believe in Santa I don’t really care. Good for them. I did too at that age. What pisses me off is that 9 YEAR OLDS ARE ON INSTAGRAM like where the hell are their parents.”
One user appeared to be inconsolable. “(3 crying faces) ye ruined my christmas (4 crying faces) and I believed in him (4 crying faces). WHY did you have to say it (6 mad faces/6 crying faces)? Shut UP haters and get OFF this account ur ruining every humans mind.”
Despite the back and forth, one apparent child remained defiant, and brought NORAD into the equation: “OMFG IF SANTA ISN’T REAL, THEN WHY IS THERE A SANTA TRACKER RUN BY THE U.S. ARMY/AIRFORCE? SOMEONE TELL ME, HUH.”
But the best advice came an from an account purporting to be a young kid giving advice to an even younger kid: “Bruh you’re like 5, you’re gonna see some bad shit on instagram so just get get off it.”
Truth.
Also, Santa’s fake 😉
