Young man explains how he sank into debt trying to be an Instagram star

Have you ever wondered how a lot of people can show off a bon vivant trajectory on Instagram and still have time to work and save money for travel, dining and perks? Well, a 26-year-old tells the drama of falling into debt for trying to become a social networking celebrity and warns of the cult of image that many people now habitually feed dangerously.

26-year-old Lissette Calveiro has 20, 600 Instagram followers and describes herself as “multi-hypada advertising, content creator / millenial, lifestyle-loving and hashtag enthusiast.” Her collection features what everyone likes to see. and post there, as happy moments, travel, meals and rehearsals that refer to fashion editorials.

Honestly, just leave me here.

A post shared by Lissette Calveiro (@lissettecalv) on Feb 19, 2018 at 6:30 PST

Moving from New York to Miami in 2013, she claims to have lived through what she called the "Sex and the City Dream" - a reference to the glamorous cosmopolitan life of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends in Manhattan. At Big Apple, however, her work as an intern only paid for her transportation, so she lived off her savings and some small payments on a part-time job.

The nightmares of debt

“I bought clothes in search of the 'perfect gram'. I was living beyond my means, living a lie, and the debt was exceeding my limits, ”she told the New York Post. Even moving back to her family home in Miami a few months later and already working all day as a publicist, she still lived on pending over $ 10, 000.

How did she spend? Well, at least $ 200 was not to be seen in the same outfit twice, and another $ 1, 000 was with designer bags like a Louis Vuitton and expensive accessories, like Kate Spade's. Apart from the monthly trips to places like Las Vegas, Bahamas and Los Angeles, not to mention the normal expenses that everyone has. "Snapchat had geographic filters and I wanted to collect at least 12. If you really see it, a lot of the trips I was taking in 2016 were strictly for Instagram."

#FridayMood: I'd been feeling a little up-in-the-air from the last few months of moving and traveling, so I was excited to have the last few weeks to myself and building a new routine in my new environment. Now, back up in the air, but feeling a lot more refreshed and open to new experiences. Sometimes you really have to find moments to stop and listen to what your mind is craving. For me, it was to take it all in and feel (even for just a moment) grounded. Happy long weekend, everyone! Snaps from St. Thomas are coming to a feed near you ??

A post shared by Lissette Calveiro (@lissettecalv) on Feb 16, 2018 at 2:33 PST

But things changed when she won a public relations position at a Manhattan company. "I knew that by moving back to New York I had to get things in order or I wouldn't survive."

The resumption in New York

Lissette quickly changed her spending habits and decreased the frequency of Instagram posts. She moved into a friend's apartment to split the bills, and the rent dropped to $ 700, as well as her weekly shopping budget was $ 35.

After 14 months, she has finally been able to pay off her debts, but despite reducing expenses, she admits she still spends $ 130 on a monthly subscription to Rent the Runway - an online service that rents clothes and accessories from famous designers. Now, living in Soho with two roommates and monthly spending under $ 1, 300, she says she regrets spending so much money trying to live an "Instagram life." And it is concerned about the impact the photo sharing platform may have on young women.

Walked up 365 steps to embrace and welcome the sun at the peak of the third largest ancient pyramid in the world. Safe to say I feel recharged in all ways, and ready to take on the world in 2018. ??

A post shared by Lissette Calveiro (@lissettecalv) on Dec 29, 2017 at 1:07 PST

“No one talks about personal finance on Instagram. It worries me when I see that girls only care about the image. I had a lot of opportunities to save money and could have invested money in something. ”

Experts warn of negative effects of social networks

Tanya Goodin, author of “OFF: Your Digital Detox for a Better Life”, says: “We know that spending too much time on social media can have a negative effect on mental health. and this is just another example of how the relentless pressure of having an 'Instagramable' life can get seriously out of control and cause real problems in your real life. "

It's important to remember that Instagram identities don't present a complete or accurate representation of reality.

For Niamh McDade, a member of the Royal Society for Public Health, once again stressed that our online version does not necessarily reflect our lives in reality. "Lisette's case is an extreme example of the consequences of the pressure many of us who use social media feel to present a humorous and well-inspired version of ourselves."

"With the endless stream of images and videos shared on platforms like Instagram, young people can be drawn to comparisons with their own lives, with potentially negative impacts on self-esteem, body image, anxiety and depression - in this case, a huge debt, " continues Niamh.

And complements. “Social media has many potential positives, including expressing identity and maintaining human connections, but if we want to maximize these positives and mitigate the negatives, it's important to remember that Instagram identities don't have a complete or accurate representation of reality.”

Young man explains how he sank into debt trying to be an Instagram star via TecMundo