Too many young Aussies hoping to forge a career on social media - Experts

Australian experts have expressed concerns that too many millennials are hoping to use their accounts to forge a career path, reports China's Xinhua news agency.

Their concerns follow the sudden rise in "insta-celebrities" who make money by posting sponsored photos online.

For the lucky few who are not only talented photographers but good-looking and business-savvy ones as well, making money off social media sites isn't impossible.

The app Instagram is flooded with social media professionals being paid to promote products and services.

However, social and political sciences expert Dr Lauren Rosewarne from the University of Melbourne said, in reality, there are far fewer entrepreneurs making money off the platforms than one may think.

She said many young Australians were getting sucked in by the allure of making money on social media platforms such as Instagram, describing it as "totally unrealistic" and an extremely difficult to do.

"Young people are aspiring to be famous in numbers that were simply not there 20 years ago," Rosewarne told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Saturday.

"There are some people who can make fortunes out of monetizing their Instagram posts but that is not the norm."

She said it was up to parents as well as schools to discourage students from seeking Insta-fame, as many believe it is a viable career choice and not a fad.

"There's the cautionary note for parents; this is not a normal or even common occurrence that you can monetize your Instagram account."

Meanwhile Toni Eager from the Australian National University said social problems could arise out of spending too much time with social media platforms such as Instagram.

"Where do (the Insta-celebrities) go in trying to separate the life people see on Instagram to their actual normal life?" Eager said.

"All of a sudden, people own your private life."

-- BERNAMA