Do I need to explain more? Love yourself like Kanye loves himself. ​

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- Reign Gonzales
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      As far as I have seen, people are torn to label O'Neill as a hero or someone who was just extremely insecure and needy.

      As someone who is of the same age as O'Neill, I understand where she is coming from. We have this impending anxiety to be reassured that what we are wearing, what we are saying, and what we are doing is right. I have to admit that even I feel let down when my original posts on the Internet do not get as much likes or shares as I anticipated. Recognition is an amazing feeling, however in social media context, that feeling is heightened to new levels. I was asking around for opinions regarding this and one of my friends said that we have to take into consideration the vast amount of people on the internet and how it's so hard to be original. The more people present, the less likely you are to stand out. Adding to the toxicity is the fact that O'Neill mixes the need for validation and consumerism through her sponsorships. It seems that she has been getting by through her sponsorships alone since she has called for donations after she had "quit" social media. I can only imagine how much stress a person can go through knowing that her state of living is dependent on the validation of others.

       Her issue isn't new at all. Actually, I wonder why it comes to a surprise to the public that people are paid through social media. It is a smart move for companies to move into social media for their marketing grounds since practically the whole world is on it. I don't believe that it's a bad thing that a person would pose for one brand if it helps them keep a roof over their heads. What I find wrong about O'Neill's case is that she's calling for a revolution of social media without thinking outside of her perspective. Not all Instagram celebrities put as much effort as she does in her photos. Not all internet celebrities feel as pressured as she is to be validated by their public. No one forced her to do anything of those things. The standards that she had to conform to are institutional. It's not really social media that's making her suck in her stomach and pose in a bikini, while still being a minor, but rather society's long standing traditions of beauty that are strive in advertising. There are also criticisms regarding how she hasn't really quit social media. She still runs a blog and a Vimeo promoting her cause. Plus, she's still using Instagram by editing the captions of her pictures. I guess the biggest difference her is that she's being transparent about things now.

       I'm not saying I'm totally against O'Neill. She raises good points about the sexualization and exploitation of a young woman's body. She is completely right on how we should be ourselves on social media. But she fails to define what draws the line in being genuine with situations that are unlike hers. She generalizes too much. Social media is the revolutionary invention in communication technology. You cannot apply morality on social media and call it evil. It's the existing unjust social norms that follow social media that is the problem. The power of social media is dependent on the susceptibility of every individual. ​

Written by Anna Cayco
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