I Rented Friends to Be More Popular on Instagram

Family Romance is a Japanese company that specializes in, of all things, “people for rent.” No matter what kind of stand-in you’re looking for—a friend, a spouse, a parent, a colleague—the company provides you with a complete stranger that can sub in for the real thing, with an eye toward making your life look a little more thrilling, glamorous, or accomplished online than it might be in reality. Founder Yuichi Ishii guarantees that photos taken as a part of what he calls his “Life Enjoyment Representation