Aussie Instagram star quits social media but not before truth bombing own Instagram

[MMarston]

This has been making the rounds on social media lately (IRONIC ZING)

Essena O’Neill announced that despite having more than half a million followers on Instagram, 200,000 on YouTube and Tumblr, and 60,000 on Snapchat, she is quitting social media for good. The 18-year-old Australian was living what seemed like a “perfect” life, but she’s taking a stand against the ideals social media presents. On Monday, she posted a YouTube video—her last—explaining her decision after deleting 2,000 Instagram photos last week and renaming her account to “Social Media Is Not Real Life.” She even edited the captions on photos she kept to reflect the truth of what happened “behind” the image.

“I’m quitting Instagram, YouTube and Tumblr. Deleted over 2000 photos here today that served no real purpose other than self promotion. Without realising, I’ve spent majority of my teenage life being addicted to social media, social approval, social status and my physical appearance,” she wrote on an Instagram post from Oct. 27. “Social media, especially how I used it, isn’t real. It’s contrived images and edited clips ranked against each other. It’s a system based on social approval, likes, validation in views, success in followers. It’s perfectly orchestrated self absorbed judgement. I was consumed by it.”

In the caption of the YouTube video from Monday, O’Neill spoke about how unhappy her social media obsession made her. “I spent hours watching perfect girls online, wishing I was them. Then when I was ‘one of them’ I still wasn’t happy, content or at peace with myself,” she wrote.

Handful of examples of her Instagram edits at the jump
Source (autoplay warning)

Dislike if old

 

[John Kowalski]

everything's upside down

 

[freenudemacusers]

Earth shattering revelations

 

[Haly]

That's some insight for a 18 year old. Good on her.

 

[devilhawk]

Good for her.

Hopefully she has a real job to make a living. I suppose she could still be a student.

 

[radioactivez0r]

I'm so out of touch, I didn't know "Instagram star" was a thing a person could be.

 

[Indrid Cold1]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

Nice generalization.

 

[Alucrid]

Guys, my neogaf posts aren't real

 

[Reverend Funk]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

Not true, I can do a standing backflip. What can your generation do?

 

[LosDaddie]

And there will be another Instagram model to replace her within seconds.

Also, she won't quit social media forever. Just like all the temp banned GAFers never quit GAF for good either. She'll be back.

 

[MMarston]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

andherewego.gif

 

[mjc]

Good on her for realizing she has more potential. I bet we'll see more of this from younger generations who grew up in social media.

 

[Loxley]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

So what you're saying is you'd like for us to get off your lawn?

 

[Real Hero]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

apart from all the ones that came before

 

[Veritigo_X]

I was expecting some bullshit social media drama, but this is actually nice.

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

Grampa! When did you get a computer?

 

[GhostWriter24]

It seems like she gets it now...I hope she finds true happiness.

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

I believe I speak on behalf of all millenials when I say, we give zero fucks about your perception of our generation, pal.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Guys, my neogaf posts aren't real

What's behind the black square!??!!?!

 

[CassCade]

Smart girl, my friends think me a freak for not being on social media.

 

[Lucky Seven]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

 

[The Silver]

Millenials are the absolute lamest, worst generation.

As a lazy millenial, I agree friend

 

[Dynamite Shikoku]

Front page news

 

[Seesaw15]

Good for her but she's probably gonna regret the decision later on. You can have both no need to be so extreme.

 

[Glendemonium]

I'm so out of touch, I didn't know "Instagram star" was a thing a person could be.

Neither did I, thought Instagram was just a glorified photo album. I love using Twitter, but can't stand Facebook.

Good on her to realize this, hard to find any real value in just being popular on social media. It's sort of like Vine, didn't realize people were really into that too.

 

[MMarston]

I believe I speak on behalf of all millenials when I say, we give zero fucks about your perception of our generation, pal.

Like Baby Boomers

 

[John Kowalski]

You can have both no need to be so extreme.

not everyone... just like not everyone can handle their liquor or their coke

social media's reward cycle is so fast and so efficient no wonder people are being corrupted to their very core

 

[Stet]

The "what really happened" comments are pretty incredible.

 

[kingocfs]

$2k just for posting a picture of yourself in a bathing suit someone gave you? wtf

 

[stuminus3]

I figured this out as soon as I realised the most popular posts on Twitter were cynical musings by sarcastic twats.

 

[torre_avenue]

It's crazy how many people make themselves miserable by upholding themselves to the social media exploits of their friends.

I was the same way until I realized the hollowness of social media and I quit everything basically. I don't even use Facebook for social networking anymore. It's just a news feed for me. I never got the need for having thousands of friends because it's all people you don't know (irony). When your friends are mostly strangers, it's time to refocus what you want.

 

[GTS300Coupe]

Just more confirmation that social media is the downfall of society

 

[Pilgrimzero]

Makes me realize how old I am. No idea instragram stars exist. I still can't believe religiously follow and give money to people like Pewdiepie.

Different world. So old.

 

[Zefah]

Earth shattering revelations

She's 18 and grew up in a social media-laden environment.

I'm sure it came as quite a revelation to her. It's nice that she was able to come to the realization so early.

 

[Incitemaybe]

Good, I'm glad this has happened for her

 

[liquidtmd]

Torn. It's a good realisation to have. It's a good message to spread...depending on motivation.

However...she's made it clear she wants to continue to make money through online traffic, albeit differently from the limited social media aspect she denounces, and there's big audiences and money to be made in the 'don't be a fake / fight the cynical corporations' market.

 

[ClosingADoor]

I just assume almost everything a 'social media celebrity' posts is faked, staged and/or paid for. Kids need media training in school to at least be aware of all the bullshit.

 

[kingocfs]

/looks at your avatar



Why yes, models get paid...? Hot girls can make money from their looks. Is that surprising?

What does Kate Bush's best album have to do with this?

No, it's not surprising, obviously, but the ease of it through social media is.

 

[Messofanego]

She was lost in the sauce.

I get that she was addicted hard and addicts tend to go cold turkey as a proper decision. While the rest of us keep it in moderation and don't lose ourselves. We got other things than just social media. So maybe she needs to find those other things to find satisfaction from.

 

[Ithil]

"Instagram star"?

 

[lednerg]

Turning yourself into a product isn't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[ClosingADoor]

"Instagram star"?

Yep, the new way to become a model basically.

 

[Alienous]

Celebrity culture is so wack.

Good on her for getting out, but the world won't care.

 

[LosDaddie]

Yep, the new way to become a model basically.

People begging for "shout outs" and "follows" on IG is always so hilarious to me.

 

[liquidtmd]

It's a photo of a model that probably was paid for the picture.

It's a photo of the singer who made the songs on that album. I'm hoping she got paid.

 

[harSon]

Was she popular prior to being 18? Why ya'll following underaged people?

 

[hEist]

3hrs sitting, talking and waiting for golden hour getting paid for it? oh, poor her...
well, she decided to take this route in the beginning. no one forced her to do it, only her greed for more attention/money... what about her parents? never warned her?

no real revelations about this "business".

Good thing: some kids will hopefully understand that social media != real live.

 

[Foggy]

I feel like I'm getting exponentially older by the second

 

[Blunoise]

Hope she isn't doing this just to get more views. Otherwise I'm glad she notice it now

 

[MogCakes]

Isn't this what everyone with half a brain who wasn't born after 1995 has realized by now?

Spoiler

Good for her, hope more people follow suit.

 

[freeofgreed]

"Instagram star"?

These comments are dumb. You guys must seriously live under a rock to not know how popular people came become on Instagram. I don't even have an instagram and even I know that it's very possible for people to get big on the platform. You guys are sounding like the people who make fun of Pewdiepie for making 4 million dollars on youtube, or the people who don't think esports are a legit sport.