'Get a real job': Backlash after 'influencer' complains about Instagram change
A self-described Instagram ‘influencer’ who filmed herself lashing out at the social media platform for making changes to the “like” function has received overwhelming backlash.
Melbourne woman Mikaela Testa, 19, posted a video to Instagram in which she claimed she had put “blood, sweat and tears” into her accounts, and raged over the negative impact the changes will have on people like herself “who have Instagram as a job”.
Her dramatic reaction to the social media platform’s decision to remove likes very quickly made her the target for derision, with the overwhelming backlash coming from people who contested that Instagram was a job.
“Instagram and job. Does this qualify as an oxymoron?” one person questioned on Facebook.
Another added: “Instagram....IS NOT A JOB”.
More than a few comments instructed her to “get a real job”.
The post was subsequently deleted, before Ms Testa posted another video showing herself crying, claiming she was “suffering” and was taking a break from social media.
The 19-year-old, who is yet to reach 50,000 followers, added that she wasn’t crying because of the changes to Instagram, but because of “disgusting, hurtful comments and messages” she had received.
Her “break” appears to have only last 24 hours though.
Instagram claimed it was making the change to reduce the pressure users felt to get likes on their posts.
Earlier in the week, Ms Testa had argued Instagram didn’t care about improving mental health and had made the change simply for money.
“Instagram isn’t even doing this for mental health, they’re just doing it so they can control all engagement so more businesses run their adverts through Instagram essentially giving them more money,” she said in her since-deleted post.
“They don’t care about your feelings”.
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