A social media ‘influencer’ who went on an extraordinary rant slamming Instagram’s ‘likes’ ban has been told to ‘get a real job’ by people unsympathetic to her plight.
Mikaela Testa, from Melbourne, made headlines when she spoke out about Instagram’s controversial decision, which the platform said could improve the mental health of its user.
The 19-year-old’s message was met with little sympathy, with many mocking her for choosing the life of an influencer – with one telling her: ‘Welcome to the real world.’
Mikaela Testa, from Melbourne , made headlines when she spoke out about Instagram’s decision to remove ‘likes’ on the platform in a bid to improve user’s mental health
‘What’s entertaining is that [she] actually thinks taking selfies 24-7 is a “job”,’ one person commented.
‘Perhaps get off social media and talk to your parents or a trusted adult for some career advice,’ another said.
‘How could you say getting likes on Instagram is a proper job?’ a third asked.
Many also rushed in to defend Ms Testa and her chosen career path.
One said: ‘I can’t even read the comments they are so f***ing disgusting.’
Another wrote: ‘Some people are honestly so pathetic.’
The 19-year-old’s message was met with little sympathy, and many users began mocking her for her outburst and choosing the life of an influencer
Ms Testa told Daily Mail Australia the people commenting negatively about her don’t know anything about her.
‘People forget I’m human, they find it easier to say horrible things through a screen rather than in person,’ she said.
‘These people don’t know me, they know of me. I wouldn’t wish any of this on anyone. I’m entitled to my opinion.
‘That doesn’t mean the whole country has to attack me because they disagree.’
Instagram’s changes announced last week have impacted Australian users and seen some influencers outraged as users won’t be able to see how many ‘likes’ a post has a received.
‘What a delusional world you live in…how could you say getting likes on Instagram is a proper job,’ one person said
‘If you think this is OK you can f*** off, it’s actually a sad day for those who have Instagram as a job,’ Ms Testa said in a expletive-ridden Facebook post.
Ms Testa, who has two Instagram profiles with about 50,000 followers between them, said the application wasn’t removing the likes for mental health reasons, as Instagram stated, but to control engagement.
‘Regardless of what you may think Instagram is a REAL job and those in the industry have worked hard to get where they’re at. It’s people that aren’t even in the industry that think it’s a f***ing joke. It’s not, it’s real damage out here.’
She said she has put her ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into her online presence and ‘every brand and business’ she knows is suffering.
Ms Testa told Daily Mail Australia that the people commenting negatively about her don’t actually know her
The model was quick to fire back on Tuesday, posting a statement claiming she earned USD$35,149 (AUD$50,00) in less than a year through social media.
‘Why do you sell pics of your body? Because it f***ing sells,’ she wrote on the picture which she shared on Instagram.
‘Y’all can say what you want, I’m going to keep chasing the bag and that is that.’
The model was quick to fire back, posting a statement claiming she earned USD$35,149 (AUD$50,00) in just a year through social media
Instagram’s changes announced last week have impacted Australian users and caused outrage from some influencers as users won’t be able to see how many ‘likes’ a post has a received
Ms Testa previously told Daily Mail Australia she wanted to share how much money she had made because people weren’t taking her seriously.
‘I decided to post it to prove to people the serious money that is within Instagram, people think Instagram isn’t a real job but it is.’
She said she has only been in the industry for five months and has already seen a relative amount of success.
She said she hoped to continue to make a name for herself as an influencer.
‘I’m young so who knows what the future holds and tomorrow is never promised.
‘I’m just living in the moment and seeing where life takes me.’
She said she has put her ‘blood, sweat and tears’ into her presence on the application and ‘every brand and business’ she knows is suffering
Ms Testa isn’t the only person who makes money from social media who has expressed concern over Instagram’s change.
Tammy Hembrow, who boasts almost 10 million followers, shared similar worries about the move back in June, when it was first announced.
Married At First Sight’s Nasser Sultan was also furious over the changes.
The personal trainer, who has 36,000 followers, was worried that people won’t know how ‘famous’ he was if his likes were no longer visible.
As influencers depend on likes to prove their engagement with followers, it’s likely that many will struggle to secure brand sponsorships going forward.
While they can send private analytics to advertisers, companies will be unable to independently verify these figures because the ‘like count’ is no longer visible.
Around the same time as her comments about Instagram removing ‘likes’ Ms Testa also shared a video where she burst into tears about the affect social media has had on her.
Around the same time she also shared a video where she burst into tears about the effect social media is having on her mind
She said she reads every comment and direct message, even when they are nasty
‘I’m just trying to stay calm so I can get these words out properly because they’re not coming out,’ she said.
‘I just think I’m going to have a really big break from social media because mentally it is a problem for me.’
She said she reads every comment and direct message, even when they are nasty.
‘I just wanted you guys to know the things you say to me really do effect me,’ she said.
Ms Testa did not take a long break from the application and was back posting the next day.