Essena O'Neill quits Instagram claiming social media 'is not real life'

Australian teenager with more than 612,000 Instagram followers radically rewrites her 'self-promoting' history on social media (and launches new website)

An Australian teenager with more than half a million followers on Instagram has quit the platform, describing it as "contrived perfection made to get attention", and called for others to quit social media - perhaps with help from her new website.

Essena O'Neill, 18, said she was able to make an income from marketing products to her 612,000 followers on Instagram - "$2000AUD a post EASY". But her dramatic rejection of social media celebrity has won her praise.