By all accounts, 18-yr-old Essena O’Neill had it all.
Videos by InspireMore
The Instagram model had fame, fortune, and following, but also false life on social media that was killing her from the inside. Behind the “candid” photos of Essena living a seemingly perfect life was an insecure, depressed and unfulfilled teenage girl who just wanted to feel loved.
But now, she’s giving it all up.
“Everything I did in a day was to be that perfect person onlineâ€
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In an emotional “tell all” youtube video, Essena pulls back the curtain and gives us a taste of what “the good life” is all about. Her experience as a social media star revolved around contrived “candid” scenes where she’d go without eating for days, take endless selfies and then finally pick one out to edit to perfection.
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“The only time I felt better about myself was when I had more likes, more views and more praise from people online… it was never enough.”
Her desire for social stardom finally came tumbling down when a famous male Instagram model had the gall to approach Essena, wondering if she’d consider a relationship with him to gain followers.
“I had it all and I was miserable. When you let yourself be defined by numbers, you let yourself be defined by something that is not pure, that is not real and that is not love.”
The promise of fame that seemed to provide the affirmation Essena so desperately desired had finally been proven false. Before deleting her Instagram profile, Essena went through her old photos and added captions that told the truth about her situation and the reality of her experience in the social media world.
Check them out:
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“I did everything in my power to prove to the world that ‘hey, I’m important, I’m beautiful and I’m cool’ but is that life? You want to be valued and loved, but you need to be free!â€
The freedom Essena talks about is the kind that makes you comfortable in your own skin. The sort of freedom that allows you to be happy with who you see in the mirror. Not because the reflection measures up to some social perception, but because you love the person you are.
Before all the fame, 12-year-old Essena loved painting, writing and being with her family… in the end, it was that memory that helped her realize the farce of social popularity.
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“Being with people in real life. Hugging them, talking to them going out to the park into nature… that is real life.”
In the end, Essena’s message is simple: love yourself for who you are, and live the life complete life we were meant to live.
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“You don’t have to go on social media to connect. You don’t have to prove your worth for it to be a good life. You don’t have to prove you body to feel beautiful. You don’t have to be a model to know that you are beautiful… because let me tell you, it’s not real.”
We are all guilty of relying on others to feel wanted, appreciated or popular. While most of us aren’t depended on social media for income, notoriety or legitimacy, Essena’s example is an awesome reminder to be comfortable in your own skin before trying to make others think otherwise.
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