Instagram Model Quit Platform to Reveal The Truth Behind Social Media

Essena O’Neill an 18-year-old, social media celebrity who turn celeb by posting series of pictures on her platform thereby growing her flowers to over half a million fan base.

According to People Magazine, like most “Instagram celebrities,” she shared paid for posts, promoted products for fees and posted nearly perfect selfies for her almost 650 thousand folloers to like and comment on.

However, unlike most “Instagram celebrities,” O’Neill went rogue.

Last week, the Australian native overhauled her social media accounts, renaming her Instagram “Social Media Is Not Real life,” deleting thousands of photos and changing her picture captions to transparent posts about what it took to get the perfect shot, Sunshine Coast Daily, a local newspaper reports.

“I’ve spent the majority of my teenage life being addicted to social media, social approval, social status and my physical appearance,” O’Neill wrote in one of her re-vamped post. “[Social media] is contrived images and edited clips ranked against each other. It’s a system based on social approval, likes, validation in views, success in followers. It’s perfectly orchestrated self-absorbed judgment.”

She then went on to review lots of secret about how post are achieve to the delight of the fans. See series of post and her comments:

Edit: "Please like this photo, I put on makeup, curled my hair, tight dress, big uncomfortable jewellery... Took over 50 shots until I got one I thought you might like, then I edited this one selfie for ages on several apps- just so I could feel some social approval from you." THERE IS NOTHING REAL ABOUT THIS. #celebrityconstruct

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on Feb 8, 2014 at 9:02pm PST

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. BEHIND THE IMAGE COMING SOON - www.letsbegamechangers.com

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on Jun 7, 2014 at 7:06pm PDT

Edit real caption: This is what I like to call a perfectly contrived candid shot. Nothing is candid about this. While yes going for a morning jog and ocean swim before school was fun, I felt the strong desire to pose with my thighs just apart #thighgap boobs pushed up #vsdoublepaddingtop and face away because obviously my body is my most likeable asset. Like this photo for my efforts to convince you that I'm really really hot #celebrityconstruct

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on Feb 7, 2014 at 10:42pm PST

Was paid $400 to post a dress. That's when I had maybe 150k followers, with half a million followers, I know of many online brands (with big budgets) that pay up to $2000 per post. Nothing is wrong with accepting brand deals. I just think it should be known. This photo had no substance, it was not of ethical manufacturing (I was uneducated at the time). SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT REAL is my point. Be aware what people promote, ask yourself, what's their intention behind the photo?

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on May 26, 2014 at 12:16am PDT

NOT REAL LIFE - took over 100 in similar poses trying to make my stomach look good. Would have hardly eaten that day. Would have yelled at my little sister to keep taking them until I was somewhat proud of this. Yep so totally #goals

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on May 10, 2014 at 12:59am PDT

Edit real caption: I was 16 here. 16!!! I did not wear this outfit out of the house, just for the photo. What is the obsession with trying to look older, sexier?

A photo posted by Social Media Is Not Real Life (@essenaoneill) on Nov 14, 2013 at 11:40pm PST

Since moving away from manipulated and produced photo sharing, O’Neill has started a new website titled “Let’s Be Game Changers.” Her goal for the new website is to inspire change and features makeup free videos set to a seemingly uncontrived living room backdrops — a far cry from her original Instagram posts.

“I can’t tell you how free I feel without social media,” O’Neill wrote on the website. “Never again will I let a number define me. IT SUFFOCATED ME. I know you didn’t come into this world just wanting to fit in and get by.

“You are reading this now because you are a game changer, you might not know you power yet. I am just finding mine, but man…when you do…far out you’ll go crazy. It’ll be brilliant. You’ll be brilliant.”