YouTubers Nina and Randa aren't sold on Essena O'Neill's story.
YouTube/Nina and Randa
The internet is buzzing with controversy after Instagram model Essena O'Neill announced she was quitting social media.
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Now other online stars are firing back to say it's not necessarily social media's fault O'Neill is unhappy.
In fact, two girls who say they are friends with O'Neill are calling the entire thing a hoax.
It all started on November 2 when O'Neill, 19, uploaded a video saying social media was fake and announcing that she was going to stop updating her Instagram account. Now, she's running a website called Let's Be Game Changers and uploading videos to document her life after Instagram.
YouTube/Essena O'Neill
She's received an outpouring of support from the general public, but now that her story has been making the rounds online, other social media stars are speaking up — and many seem pretty skeptical.
Here's the biggest reason why they say O'Neill is just putting on a show: She's still promoting herself on social media.
Then they call her fake multiple times. (With friends like these...!)
O'Neill appears to have responded to the video on her new site with a statement at the top of the site. But it's not clear whether she's referring specifically to Nina and Randa, or to someone else.
Please, this isn't about my personal life. Those I trusted spreading rumours... this is my exact point about social media. WE MUST USE OUR VOICES FOR GOOD AND POSITIVE CHANGE. Why not talk about this movement as a concept? Why not talk about all the documentaries and books I have here that truly helped me? Why not use this as purely an example of social media reliance. Human beings are capable of so much more than gossip, cool pictures and ironic captions. Let's talk about real things happening globally that matter. Love the people around you and don't live in my phone, that's all my point is."
Other social media stars have also weighed in.
YouTuber Doddlevloggle apologizes to O'Neill for "what happened to [her]" and adds, "If you think what you're doing is going to help you and your life, please do it."
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"This is what happens when you mix social media with your own life and your own personality," she says. "I am a brand but the thing is I am that brand. I'm not lying. That's where you shouldn't go wrong... If you're building your brand up to be some happy, perfect human being who is just beautiful and brilliant in every single way, that's not gonna work. You can't live up to that."
YouTuber star Acacia Brinley tweeted a lengthy message to her 700,000 Twitter followers, concluding:
"She chose to edit her life and pretend it was perfect for love and appreciation. I chose to be myself and get love from my family and friends. The social media world is a happy place for me. YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN HAPPINESS."
Even Bryanboy, one of the first huge style bloggers and Instagram influencers, is supporting her — but with a small catch. He wrote on Instagram:
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"I get where she's coming from and there are definitely [some] truths to what she's saying but NOT everyone on social media lives a blatantly manufactured life specifically FOR social media. The irony of it all is that in the end -- she's still using social media to further her (amazing) agenda. But it does make you wonder who's guilty and who isn't... Anyone else living in a make believe world?"
O'Neill herself actually hasn't stopped posting on social completely — she's now updating her Vimeo account every day. And she says she's really happy with the attention her story is getting.
