Essena O’Neill had more than 570,000 followers on instagram when she decided to disclose that her status as a social media celebrity was making her unhappy. Watch the dramatic video of the social media star on her departure from social platforms.
[iframe id=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/144421923″]
In the fallout of ‘coming clean’ about the behind the scenes of her carefree posts, Essena has faced much criticism from her friends, online supporters and the media. She is only 18 and says on her new site letsbegamechangers.com “Oh man, permanently deleting those accounts just feels so freeing.”
While many other teenagers look to social media for ‘insta-gratificaton’, Essena is encouraging people to find self-worth beyond getting likes and re-tweets.
Social media is a new currency among young people, with many young models gaining contracts as a result of their following. Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Coco Rocha have all benefited what is known as ‘the rise of the social media mogul’, the ability to turn a public profile into lucrative endorsements.
Kendall and Gigi are now gracing billboards all of the world, partying with glamorous designers and amassing a sizeable bank balance, all before the age of 21.
While ‘insta-glam’ might seem like an attractive career prospect to many young people, Essena has warned of the pitfalls of the lifestyle. She too was approached by an international modelling agency with the offer to live her teenage dream. Behind the smile and the selfies, Essena felt she was creating a illusion, and crafting a product which took away from the fun she’d initially had with social media. After travelling dropping out of University and travelling through LA, Essena realised that she’d outgrown her teenage dream and now has new aspirations.
Deleting all social media presences, except YouTube, Essena now hopes to use her experience to inspire other young women to make informed choices about social media that align with the core values of who they are, rather than getting caught in a tide of fame.