Essena O'Neil

Essena O’Neil was originally recognized worldwide as a famous Instagram model from Australia. Last year she made the decision to delete her social media account, as she no longer wanted it controlling her life. As commonly found on Instagram, the photos shared portray a self that the user wants others to believe and are rarely true representations of an identity or event. To combat this use, Essena began exposing her followers to what truly happened behind these seemingly perfect images that she had been posting. She altered the captions on old photos to descriptions that captured how manufactured the photos truly were. In addition, she posted videos on her website further discussing the lengths famous Instragram models, including herself, may go to in order to get their desired following base and to be the most liked. Ideally these insights exposed not only herself but all other famous Instagram models. In one video she discusses how some relationships seen on these social media platforms are completely artificial and faked in order to gain followers. She also explained that many images through this social media platform are posted in order to make money by endorsing brands and clothing.

In regards to neoliberal economics, Van Djick states “connectivity derives from a continuous pressure – both from peers and from technologies – to expand through competition and gain power through strategic alliances. Platform tactics such a the popularity principle and ranking mechanism hardly involve contingent technological structures; instead, they are firmly rooted in an ideology that values hierarchy, competition, and a winner-takes-all mind-set” (Van Dijck, 2016, p.21). In relation to Instagram and Essena O’Neil it is for this reason that she boldly exposed photos and quit using the social media platform. As described by Essena, focusing on these popularity-based and competition-based values leaves the user completely unhappy and is a waste of time.

Overall, although her intentions seemed true for quitting social media and encouraging others to take the same steps, it did seem as though her chosen approach to the situation was to bring herself more attention. Although she has stopped posting photos that do not accurately represent what they seem to be, she was still promoting herself through Instagram. She was able to attract even more individuals to view her profile and like her photos after reading her "not real life" captions. Tactics similar to these are seen in marketing everyday. Companies act as though they understand their consumers on a different level than their competitors but are truly still just trying to sell their product. To prove that her intentions were in fact genuine, she went on to delete both her Instagram account as well as her “Lets Be Game Changers” website.

Van Dijck, J. (2013). The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford: Oxford University Press.