Dr. Phil Schubert has “finally given in” and joined the Instagram community, creating his first account ever in August.

Schubert, president of ACU, concluded his debut caption with a shout-out to his very own fan page, @finding_phil_.

“I think it’s because I’m just kind of getting old, and people wore me down,” Schubert said. “They’ve been pestering me for years to get in, so I finally said, ‘Hey, yeah, sure, if you guys want to try it.’”

Schubert joined the Insta community on Aug. 18 when he launched his account with a walking Q&A set in front of Moody Coliseum, where he advises students to stay up all night and get burritos at La Popular.

Schubert said he intends to lean on social media as a new positive outlet.

“I enjoy having fun with students and showing the lighter side of this job,” Schubert said. “It’s also good for me to engage with them and not be in serious meetings all the time.”

Since then, his account grew to over 1,700 followers. Schubert has posted selfies, Reels and carousels, showcasing his Wildcat pride.

Schubert said he’s still learning the ropes, but he is interested in putting his best foot forward. He said his team planned to give him tips on how to use the app.

“I want to learn that,” Schubert said. “I think if I’m going to do it, I don’t want to do anything poorly.”

Many students said they want to see more authenticity on Schubert’s account.

“His Instagram appears sterile and inauthentic,” said Lexi Morrison communication graduate student and digital marketing specialist from Abilene.

Others were not aware of this new development.

“I didn’t even know Schuby Duby had Instagram,” said Erick Aguilar, senior communication major from San Diego.

The notorious @finding_phil_ Instagram page took part in building the demand for Schubert’s long-requested presence on the app. The account started posting candid photos of Schubert across campus in Aug. 2021.

The ‘Finding Phil’ page created traction, drawing students’ interest into Schubert’s daily schedule. Students submitted photos of Schubert all over campus: mid bite in the bean, in conversation at tailgates and on screen in Chapel.

One comment on a post from Sept. 4, 2021, read, “Post notifications: on. I must know his whereabouts.”

Engagement on posts grew from 40 likes to an average of 400 likes per post and topped at 640 likes on its most popular post.

Followers of the account started to get creative, sending Photoshopped images of Schubert as characters, like Ken from the Barbie movie.

Schubert said he loved the idea of @finding_phil_, that it was brilliant.

Schubert’s team differed in opinion; the account was initially brought to Schubert’s attention as a concern. Schubert said they were interested in finding out who was running the account to potentially take action.

“I remember thinking, ‘Man, that’s the last thing I want to do,’” Schubert said. “Like, holy cow, really? Let’s show it to me. Let’s look at it. Is there anything that’s in bad taste here?”

When Schubert decided that @finding_phil_ was no cause for alarm, as long as the content stays within appropriate limits.

“I love that students are interested enough in me and in my role that they want to have fun with that,” Schubert said. “I think the last thing I would want to do is discourage you from it.”

The account has sizzled out in activity over time, but spinoff accounts have surfaced.

Beginning his journey on Instagram was slightly nerve-racking for Schubert, who said he assumed he would receive criticism.

But the interactions on Schubert’s posts have been positive, with many in support of Schubert’s influencer era.

“I haven’t heard a single negative thing,” Schubert said. “I figured I’d start getting criticized for, you know, ‘Your posts are dumb,’ or ‘You don’t do enough of them,’ or ‘You clearly don’t know how to work it,’ but I haven’t gotten that yet.”

Overall, Schubert said he wants to use this platform as a medium to connect with students.

“I want to put meaningful and fun things out there for people to consume,” Schubert said.