The internet is abuzz with the news of famed Australian Instagrammer, Essena O’Neill’s unexpected departure from the world of social media. O'Neill, who had half a million followers on popular social media app Instagram, posted a 17-minute video on YouTube on Nov. 2, entitled “Why I REALLY am quitting social media | The Truth”, to explain the reasoning behind her decision.
Since the age of 12 O'Neill romanticized those she saw on the internet with small waists and lots of likes, vowing that one day she would follow in their footsteps. She made a career out of social media, spending years perfecting her on-screen aesthetic to appeal to the masses; a job that she truly thought would bring her life value, until she realized that it didn’t.
Even at the peak of her widespread popularity, O'Neill was miserable. Turning her phone off and learning to live without the validation of her followers taught her not only what it means to live a life full of purpose but also that “we are not followers, we are beings of individuality and love”.
O'Neill also speaks of other people she met in the social media industry, specifically her supposedly high-profile but unnamed ex-boyfriend and supermodel/actress Cara Delevingne. While the three of them lived what society would define to be the perfect life, O'Neill claims that their popularity is not all it’s cracked up to be. Being put on a pedestal and receiving widespread praise does not lead to feelings of empowerment, rather, O'Neill claims to have felt very alone. Living according to social media, Essena ignored the things she now realizes can lead her to living better; spending time with friends, making art, and writing being just a few.
In her video, O'Neill apologizes for the damage she may have caused through perpetuating constraining and seemingly unattainable standards of beauty online. Describing herself as having had a completely contrived “celebrity mentality”, O'Neill is now working to combat social media by exposing how fake some sites really are. In doing so, O'Neill went beyond her Youtube confession, and edited captions on old Instagram photos. For example, the caption for a photo depicting O'Neill standing on a dock in a beautiful white dress now reads “NOT REAL LIFE- I didn’t pay for the dress, took countless photos trying to look hot for Instagram, the formal made me feel incredibly alone”. Countless of her other captions have been changed similarly, such as the one in the image pictured below.
For speaking out about what she believes in, O'Neill has been receiving what I think to be more than her fair share of negative judgement. Quite frankly, O'Neill is a godsend for young, insecure girls everywhere and her ability to use social media to change the world, rather than submit to it, is admirable. As a society we have long needed a wake-up call when it comes to the shallow and restricting beauty ideals we impose on ourselves, and I think O'Neill could be just that. With her new website, Let's Be Game Changers, O'Neill is ready to take on the world, and I’m incredibly excited to see what she’ll throw at us next.
