Is this the end of Instagram? As model quits 'dishonest' social media, 15 college women confess it makes them feel 'self-conscious' and 'depressed' about their lives

Speaking out: A group of college women has revealed the effects that social media has on their self-esteem after Instagram celebrity Essena O'Neill (above) made headlines for quitting the application.

A group of college women is revealing the effects that social media has on their self-esteem after an Instagram celebrity from Australia made headlines for quitting the app because it made her feel insecure and empty.

Essena O'Neill, 19, of Queensland, Australia, had more than 574,000 Instagram followers until Monday, when she gave up her life as a 'social media celebrity', saying that she was fed up with the false reality that it promotes. 

Now, 15 women from various universities are sharing their thoughts to Cosmopolitan.com on how viewing others' Instagram photos - and posting their own - makes them truly feel about their lives and their body image. 

The end of Instagram? Of the 15 college women polled, only one said that social media didn't affect her in a negative way. The other 14 said it made them feel insecure about their looks, weight, and even their social lives

'Seeing things that another person has makes me envious, wishing I had what that person has. That can be anything from their lifestyle or body image. 

'Seeing a girl constantly post photos of her body and how she works out makes me feel bad about my self-image and changes my perception of myself,' says a college student named Gabby.

A girl named Alexa, meanwhile, says that other people's Instagram photos make her feel insecure about the photos that she posts on the app.

'There are so many girls who post gorgeous selfies and show amazing things they're doing, like traveling or wearing gorgeous clothes, and it's made me question how I come off to other people. My photos aren't nearly as glamorous as those,' she admits.

Meg, on the other hand, confesses that she is self-conscious about how many likes her photos receive.

'Whether I post a selfie or a picture of a sunset, I am very self-conscious of how many likes I get. I don't even have that many followers, but I'm totally guilty of deleting any posts that didn't get enough likes,' she reveals.

Picture-perfect:  A student named Gabby shared, 'Seeing things that another person has makes me envious, wishing I had what that person has'

Truth: Essena said of these 'candids', 'I felt the strong desire to pose with my thighs just apart #thighgap boobs pushed up #vsdoublepaddingtop and face away because obviously my body is my most likeable asset'

Catherine feels similarly, sharing: 'I have felt pressure to have the "perfect picture" and sometimes have been afraid to post a selfie because I get worried that someone will compare it with someone else's photo.'

While admitting that she gets 'jealous' when others' photos receive more likes than hers, Mary says that it's ridiculous for her to feel this way, offering: 'Why do I need to compare their digital identity to mine? It's like comparing apples to oranges.'

A student named Natalie confesses that, like most people, she edits her life on Instagram, saying: 'I'm abroad right now and even though it looks like I'm having the time of my life, I'm obviously not posting about the difficult times that I've had here.'

Liz has mixed feelings about how social media has affected her self-perception, saying that she feels 'good' when people like her photos, but feels negatively about herself when she sees other girls and wishes she looked like them.

Feelings: A woman named Catherine said she feels pressure to post the 'perfect' photo on Instagram

Coming clean: A girl named Natalie admitted to editing her life on social media, saying that her photos make her seem happier than she really is greeing with this point of view, Maddy offers: 'If I put up an Instagram that I don't think is that great, and it get a lot of likes, it boosts my self-esteem. Whereas if I post what I think is a great Instagram and it doesn't get a lot of likes, I would say it hurts my self-esteem.'

Jackie reveals how Instagram affected her previous relationship, saying: 'When I was dating my now ex-boyfriend, I would always see him liking pictures of really pretty girls, and that definitely made me feel insecure and feel like I wasn't good enough.'

A woman named CJ says that she hates how social media sets impossible standards for people, sharing: 'There are tons of pictures of Kendall Jenner on Instagram and I'm sure thousands of 20-year-old girls worldwide died a little inside when they realized she's now the same age as they are but also skinny, beautiful, and walking in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.'

Katie agrees, admitting that social media has 'made me self-conscious in more ways than I realize, and I can bet that a lot of my peers feel the same way too​. '​F**k Instagram,' she adds.

In that same vein, Colleen shares: 'All the app does is provide a platform for you to be either approved by viewers or scrolled past for something more appealing.'

A woman named Claudia adds: 'Sometimes I get caught up in trying to live up to unrealistic expectations.'

We've all been there: A student named Meg confessed that she is self-conscious about how many likes her photos receive

Insecurity: A woman named Jackie said that when her ex-boyfriend liked photos of pretty girls, it made her feel like she wasn't good enough  

Meanwhile, Sarah reveals that she can't help comparing herself to others on Instagram, and says it's not just about physical looks.

'Even seeing classmates' posts of fun and exciting activities can make you feel bad about yourself sometimes,' she admits.

Of the 15 women, there was only one who said that seeing beautiful photos of other people on social media didn't affect her negatively.

'When I see a beautiful picture of a celebrity, I think about how lucky they are, but when I see a beautiful picture of my friend, I will compliment them and throw them a comment. It doesn't affect me in a way of being jealous,' shares Danielle.

The majority of the women felt like Essena, who admitted that social media had made her self-absorbed and even depressed.

Between the ages of 16 and 18-years-old, she said she would spend more than 50 hours a week answering questions on Tumblr, posting daily photos on Instagram, creating YouTube videos, recipes or workouts. 

'Social media allowed me to profit off deluding people,' she said. 

Jealousy: Social media doesn't just make people feel insecure about their looks, said a girl named Sarah, who revealed that seeing others' photos of them doing fun activities made her feel bad

Hesitant: While the majority of the girls believe that social media is bad for their mental health, none of them said they have quit any of the apps

'Without realising, I've spent majority of my teenage life being addicted to social media, social approval, social status and my physical appearance. Social media, especially how I used it, isn't real,' she wrote. 

'It's a system based on social approval, likes, validation in views, success in followers. It's perfectly orchestrated self absorbed judgement.' 

She has since deleted around 2,000 photos from her social media accounts, amending the captions on her remaining images to reflect the 'truth' behind the snapshot in a bid to 'expose the harsh and often humors reality behind the instafamous culture.'

Essena's candid captions have revealed details about how much she was paid for promotional posts, how much make up she was wearing and how many failed attempts she made before capturing a photo worthy of posting.

Her true self: Essena has since quit social media, and has started a new website called 'Let's Be Game Changers'. Above, she's seen sans make-up in a candid shot

The hard truth: Now that she has quit her life as an Instagram celebrity,  Essena said she doesn't have enough money to 'afford real life', and has been appealing to the public to help fund her living expenses

In one image, a smiling Essena poses on the water in a stunning white floor length gown, captioning the image: 'I didn't pay for the dress, took countless photos trying to look hot for Instagram, the formal made me feel incredibly alone.'

'If you find yourself looking at "Instagram girls" and wishing your life was theirs... Realize you only see what they want,' she advised her followers.

However, now that she has quit her life as a social media celebrity, Essena said she doesn't have enough money to 'afford real life', and has been appealing to the public to help fund her living expenses. 

In a tearful video posted to her new website, called Let's Be Game Changers, the make-up-free millennial confesses that she can no longer pay her rent and asks people to support her financially.

Source: Daily Mail