I would like to preface this article with the following truths.
1. I am an avid user of Instagram.
2. I hyper-analyze numerous nearly identical photos to find one that I believe to be "insta-worthy."
3. I am a devout supporter of editing apps and have a plethora downloaded onto my smartphone.
4. I think a good filter can fix almost any physical insecurity.
With the above in mind, I would now like to discuss and speculate upon Essena O'Neill. I imagine that by now, most of you reading this have some clue who O'Neill is. For those of you who may not, O'Neill is an Australian model who has made her fame through the outlet of her Instagram account. Although not yet nineteen years of age, the model has amassed more than 612,000 Instagram followers, 250,000 YouTube subscribers, and 60,000 Snapchat friends. O'Neill made waves in the social media world last week as she released an emotional seventeen-minute-long video documenting her "dishonest" presentation of a perfect life on social media. O'Neill further exposed her contrived social media image by editing all of her Instagram captions to reveal the process that went into achieving the photo.
Releasing such an emotional video as well as altering her captions to reflect the truth behind the images are both undoubtable acts of bravery. However, I find myself speculating upon the authenticity of O'Neill's intentions. Her video portrays an "organic" image of herself; no makeup, visible blemishes, and swollen, tear-filled eyes. The Instagram star reveals intimate details such as how much companies paid her to wear their clothes, jewelry, and products. She goes on to claim that she spent at least fifty hours a week taking and editing photos for her social media accounts and recording videos of her diet and exercise regimen.
All of these elements depict an image of rawness, an image I have a hard time believing. O'Neill claims to want "liberation" from the public eye and the confines of social media, yet the release of this video has made her exponentially more popular and well-known. Furthermore, O'Neill has sparked a "social movement" and is leading the troops with the release of her new blog "Let's Be Game Changers." In this manner, it is obvious that O'Neill views her emotional unveil as a social "game changer" ā quite the antithesis of the humbling image she aims to portray.
O'Neill also admits that she feels terrified at the prospect of having a career built upon a fragile social media image and is constantly anxious about the uncertainty of her life. News flash, Essena! Nearly no one knows what their future holds at nineteen years of age. As a fellow nineteen year old, I assure you I have no clue what the next year holds for me, let alone what I am going to eat for lunch in an hour.
Beyond that, the model contemplates her bank account and reveals that all of her earnings can be accredited to sponsorships from companies. At the conclusion of her video, she tells viewers that she has a support page where anyone interested can donate so that she can afford her rent. I truly cannot fathom a better way to give back to the world than by paying the rent of an ex-Instagram personality. Believe it or not, Essena, most young adults do not have a stable stream of cash constantly thrown their way and must make financial sacrifices on a daily basis. Fun fact, I ate a third of a jar of peanut butter last night for dinner.
The donation page found on O'Neill's new blog requesting viewers to pay whatever he or she believes her message to be worth.
O'Neill further negates her purpose for quitting social media by asking viewers of the Youtube confessional to "like" the video and "subscribe" to her new website, so that she can support herself. I cannot quite wrap my head around why "liking" her confessional video is of anymore worth to society than "liking" and overly dramatized and edited Instagram post. If young adults all over the world can leave home and figure out how to keep themselves afloat, so can a model who has fallen of the grid.
Not knowing what your future holds, what your career will be, or where you will be in the next five years is not a product of social media disillusionment; it is a product of being young and confused. Something that can be resolved by experimenting with education, developing work experience, and accumulating a professional network. Although I strongly believe in the motivations behind O'Neill's movement including self-confidence, positive body image, and combating the confines of social media, I do not believe that the validation of more than half a million followers is necessary to liberate oneself. O'Neill's grand, heartfelt unveil is nothing more than the same publicity stunt humbly disguised for social media validation.
Images courtesy of Instagram
