In light of recent events following Essena O'Neill's posts about how "Social Media Is Not Real Life" is complete BS.

If you haven't heard of Essena O'Neill, she is an instagram superstar who recently changed many of her captions to things like "I didn't pay for this dress. The company paid for me to make this post. I tried to pose like this 100 times to look like I haven't eaten all day."

O'Neill said that social media "brainwashed this generation". Which I guess is kind of true, but it's not everyone that's making their accounts look fake.

Her posts continue to relay the idea that social media is not real life, and it's toxic.

News flash O'Neill, it is real life. Social media isn't a lie. YOU control social media. YOU put out whatever message YOU want to.

Social media has been given a negative connotation for awhile now. But people are forgetting that social media brings people together and does amazing things. Sure, there are pros and cons. But what doesn't? If anyone wants to, they can make social media an exact representation of real life. You don't have to make it fake if you don't want to.

Essena O'Neill has been bashing everything about social media... yet the reason her voice is being heard is because of social media. Ironic?

Twin sisters that were friends with O'Neill recently said that this is a ploy for her to get more famous. Which isn't hard to believe.

This whole idea that social media isn't real life is bogus. Sure, life isn't an instagram picture. But instagram captures moments that we want to remember forever.

We all have control over our social media accounts. It's up to us to put up what we want to show as our lives. We can make it look as fake as we want or as real as we want.

The CEO of Rise9, which is a company that helps people build up their social media said: "Social media wasn't the lie, you were the lie." He also said: "Yes, deleting your Social Media is a step in the right direction. Disowning personal responsibility for your own happiness and shifting the blame is a step backwards." (via Cosmopolitan.com)

I definitely applaud O'Neill for saying what she said about anxiety and depression and how social media didn't help that because it really doesn't, coming from experience. But looking at everything else that has surfaced... I don't agree with it.

So, moral of the story is that social media doesn't have to be all bad. Of course there are bad sides to everything, but social media also has positive points to it. Without social media, I wouldn't be writing this article right now.

I wouldn't be able to share my ideas with the world.

People wouldn't have the opportunities that they do.

Some friends wouldn't be friends.

We wouldn't be able to reach out to relatives who live far away.

People wouldn't be able to share their creations.

See, there is a good side to social media. Instead of focusing so much on the negativity, be yourself on social media. It's a reflection of you if you want it to be, so just do what you want.

I know not everyone has to agree with me, but I believe that social media can be real life and it can be amazing.

Social media is what we make it, not what it makes of us.