Social Media is undoubtedly a tool that can be utilised for personal gain. Time and time again I have seen a paid promotion on my newsfeed from a person with a large following. In short, they’re being paid to live a luxurious life.
The question then becomes – is any of what we see online even real?
The constant filters, hash tags and sponsors are ultimately deceptive. I’m going to try and demonstrate how warped the social media culture is today and how it extensively impacts on the lives of people in today’s world.
Using former Instagram famous model Essena O’Neill as an example it’s easy to see the warped reality Instagram can create for not only the content viewer but also the creator. Essena rose to fame with her beautiful beach photos and effortless beauty but it wasn’t long before the glass ceiling shattered around on. In 2015, after years of being in the spotlight she had finally had enough. She edited all the captions on her much liked pictures from a formal picture where she stated her loneliness or a paid promotion she had done all in all she summarised the one thing we were all yet to catch onto – sometimes social media is fake.
The ultimate goal of Essena’s own self-destruction and her decision to shy away from the public eye is to demonstrate once and for all how toxic social media is. The aim is for millennials who are most influenced by social media due to being raised on it to realise it’s warped nature. How all-various online channels themselves are flawed. Delivering news is different from the social media platform it pertains.
Jessica Rowen
Hunt, E. (2015). Essena O’Neill quits Instagram claiming social media ‘is not real life’. [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/nov/03/instagram-star-essena-oneill-quits-2d-life-to-reveal-true-story-behind-images [Accessed 30 Aug. 2017].
Social Media Influencers 