Social Media, Essena O'Neil, and Van Dijck

Essena O'Neil was brought to a viral fame when she announced that she was 'quitting social media'. In her announcement, she made it clear that her with her devotion to social media, she was living an inauthentic life. Behind her posts on Instagram, she emphasizes the notion of how there is always an ulterior motive. The 'real side' of social media is composed of paid posts, sponsorships, and low self-esteem. 
With her announcement, there can be some coorelations drawn between the work of Jose Van Dijck and her "neoliberal economic principals". These principals are explained by "connectivity derives from a continuous pressure from both peers and technology to expand through competition and gain power through strategic alliances" (Baym 21). With this quote, it highlights the direct parallel to O'Neil. 

Through her statement, she claims that social media is a business. With neoliberal principals. it is dependent on the users that are creating content. Those that are in this business are in constant competition to create engaging content that will continually increase their follower count. Van Dijck's framework highlights how there is an anxiety over numbers and what people say on social media as it is their identity. O'Neil had exactly these worries and claims that it lead to a slow deterioration of self-esteem through trying to maintain an image on her account. Through her own experiences of social media, it highlights the notion that this is a world that fosters competition all through the culture of connectivity. 

It should be noted that despite O'Neil 'quitting' social media, she still maintains her instagram account and has created a new site called letbegamechangers.com. Upon reviewing the site, there is an announcement that states that she is coming out with a new book entitled, "How To Be Social Media Famous". It is with this that I argue, that by stating that an individual is "quitting" social media, it is another way of saying that they are attempting to not care about their followers, if their content is "good" or not, and not receiving payment for any promotions. If O'Neil has really done that, I think it is still to be determined.