Various social media sites including Instagram and Twitter have a profound effect on the way we view the lifestyles of others around the world. It’s easy to believe what is presented right before our eyes, but after examples like the Essenia O'Neill scandal it has been proven that we should be more mindful as to what we accept as the truth. In an age where information is constantly shoved down our throats, we must distinguish each flavor carefully. In a more recent example, Louise Delage, a french student is showing us the truth behind what it really means to “like” a photo of a pretty girl with a lavish lifestyle.
Louise Delage seemed to gain social fame almost overnight. With every photo, she posted her follower count increased tremendously. Most of her pictures include beautiful scenes like spending the day on a yacht, drinking champagne in the bathtub, and presenting an attitude of the girl who has everything one could dream of.
To the typical social media user, this appears to be nothing out of the ordinary. There are endless accounts ran by travel bloggers, models, and young socialites who have an army of followers and glamorous photos to share with the world. It’s hard to decipher which are authentic and which are not, but the takeaway here is not everything we sense is true.
Similar to Essenia Oneill, Delage is not at all what she appears to be. As part of a campaign, Addict Aide, Delage spreads an important message on how difficult it can be sometimes to notice an addiction. In each photo, Louise presents a luxurious lifestyle with a drink in her hand and recently ended her feed with a video compilation of all the photos and captioned it with “like my addiction” to end the campaign.
In the comments, there is a mix of surprised reactions supporting the campaign while others were upset by it claiming that people will still be blind followers.
Aside from the powerful message that was put out there through social media, this is also a perfect example of how our minds trick us and how we take shortcuts. Whether it be via social media, political information, or just about anything, we as humans create a truth stemmed from fragments of information.
As stated earlier, Louise Delage is a french student with a lavish lifestyle and an army of followers. Let’s surface the truth. Delage is under disguise to protect her real name and identity for the sake of the campaign. She appeared on Instagram in the beginning of August with no other social media presence and gained heaps of followers overnight. Sounds suspicious, but it got the job done. I hope this proves my point and makes you remember that sometimes the truth is just another question away.
No one was wrong for accepting this girl as a true identity and social figure. Even though this was all done for a good cause, it’s sad how an advertising agency can broadcast information banked on others inability to question what appears right before their eyes.
So, who is Louise Delage anyway? This isn’t a question that needs to be answered right now, but if questions are asked earlier then think about what truths can be exposed... whether it be good or bad.
