Byron Bay has been growing in popularity since the Age of Aquarius in the '60s, when surfers discovered the empty waves and people looking for a new way of life moved in. Ever since, the name conjures up a mirage of a laid-back, sun-drenched, dolphin-playing, free-spirited Nirvana.

Now the sign welcoming you to Byron, as you queue in heavy traffic with a herd of others seeking a slice of paradise, reads Cheer up, Slow down, Chill out.

But with the passion comes fire — things are not always chilled out in paradise.

Emotions have flared since US magazine Vanity Fair came to town. Their cutting article underlined the hypocrisy behind the staged and sponsored Instagram posts of a clique of Byron "mum lifestyle influencers" or, as they refer to themselves, "murfers" (mum surfers), condemning them for being white and privileged (just, as I suspect, is the magazine's primary readership).

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It also accuses them of wearing linen. It sounds like a fantastic way to spend your day to me, if you can.

But the article has sparked a conversation some locals feel needed to be raised.

With the arrival of the "Insta-crew" some locals fear their beloved town is becoming a stage for promoting an unrealistic view of a Utopia; some are concerned the distortion between fantasy and reality is infiltrating their everyday lives and that image and popularity are fast becoming more important than community values.

Behind the cafe facade, Byron Bay is a big old country town. ( Natalie Grono )

'Welcome to Mumstagram'

Local comedian Mandy Nolan responded on social media with satire: "I'm launching a brand new social media platform for mums who aren't good looking. Mums with shitty lives no one wants … Welcome to Mumstagram. It's not for influencers. It's for 'under the influencers'. Women who drink to kill the pain of their unimaginable life."

But dig a little deeper and the stories pour forth from angered locals. Many have been asked to keep their distance while Insta-fashion shoots take over their local beaches. And some mothers are too anxious to drop their kids to school because they fear they don't fit in with the portrayed image.

Long-time locals fear the spirit of the laid-back town in changing. ( Natalie Grono )

Sean, a long-time local, explains: "For some people the laid-back welcoming nature of past has been replaced by the 'must-present-wonderful-immaculate-and-wealthy', and some of the older members of the community struggle with this. Some feel anxious that they are judged by the new arrivals privy to this Byron image. Maybe they don't meet the new standard. Many more have moved to get away from the change."

Third-generation local Amy says she's tired of seeing Byron used as a commodity.

"I think many people portray Byron on social and in advertising as living the dream, but the reality is it's hard to find work, a house to live in, traffic is an increasing issue, homelessness and mental health are on the rise and there is also a seedy underbelly," she says.

"Many of the so-called Byron influencers, who by the way don't live in Byron and sit in its traffic everyday, only show the good."

Many long-time locals — who "have worked very hard and made sacrifices to stay in the area" — felt frustrated by the speed at which the small town was changing, Amy says.

"It has become so expensive to live here. It's a transient population and many neighbourhoods are now made up of holiday lets, resulting in a sense of lost community," she says.

"In regards to the influencers; like attracts like, and from working in the hospitality industry I have witnessed influencers that fly in just for the weekend, demand everything for free, just to post 'living the dream'. Most of the influencers are here for a good time, not a long time".

The image of Byron Bay as a laid-back, idyllic retreat isn't only on Instagram. ( Natalie Grono )

Is Byron a town of broken dreams?

A local mental health care worker said one of her colleagues had started referring to Byron as the "town of broken dreams".

"Too many people come here thinking it's some kind of Utopia, when in reality it has just as many negative or other issues as any place," she says.

"An egalitarian, inclusive image is given [by Instagramers and marketers] of a place where you can make your creative dreams come true, raise your kids in domestic beachy, linen bliss."

And the actual reality?

"Yes, it's gorgeous. But behind the facade it's a big old country town, with all the restrictions and issues to go with that. People come to live here with unrealistic expectations — and often land flat when the truth of life hits.

"Ask any health professional in town and they will tell you stories of the people who arrive with big ideas and end up suffering from depression because the dream has been shattered, or because Byron Bay wasn't the answer to their problems. It's undeniable that a Utopian image is continuing to be sold [and] projected."

The cost of living has increased and many neighbourhoods are now made up of mostly holiday lets. ( Natalie Grono )

'That freaks most parents out'

I meet with Byron born and raised local Kirra Pendergast. After battling her own chilling experience with cyber bullying, Kirra started Safe On Social to spread knowledge of cyber safety education and security to students and adults across the country.

Her work deals predominately with younger people on social, and she presents to them the positives and the risks of using the various apps.

"What is scary is that young kids have never known a world without an iPhone. They can't divide the online world from reality," she says.

"From a mental health point of view the youth have issues with following groups that glamorise things like self-harm [and] anorexia."

In summer, the town's beaches are packed. ( Natalie Grono )

Her main concern with parent influencers and parents on social media is the over-sharing of information about their children.

She calls it the "Proud Parent Syndrome" and pinpoints how easy it is to obtain a child's identity, name, location, afterschool activities, friends' names, parent's names, pets names, where they have been on holidays etc, from their parent's social media accounts.

"Now imagine I am the creep that pulls up outside your child's school that afternoon with that wealth of knowledge," she says.

She spots my look of terror.

"Yes, that freaks most parents out."

I recount to her the feelings some long-time locals have expressed about social media's negative impact on the town.

Some locals feel Byron Bay is being used as a commodity. ( Natalie Grono )

"Many of them fear it because it's something new," she says.

"We need to remove the fear, as it's not going away. We need to create the change we want to see in it."

Of course, not all Byron locals are worried about Instagram influencers. It is undeniable there are many success stories.

Maria Nilsson, founder of the local women's surf brand Atmosea, acknowledges that Instagram has positive and negative effects on the town. For the most part she is inspired by it.

"We have so many talented, driven, strong entrepreneurial ladies that have created such a solid community for support and growth. It's inspiring. Instagram is a great tool to see what everyone is doing and to support each other."

Surfers started the influx into Byron Bay in the 1960s. ( Natalie Grono )

Zen advice

The dialogue is still circling in my mind when I arrive at the doctor's for a routine skin check. That's another pitfall with living in paradise, Byron has the highest rates of skin cancer in the state. I guess if you are going murfing all day you'd best slip, slop, slap.

The doctor starts to talk of his meeting with a Zen master from Mullumbimby. Not sure how we ended up there, but it's welcoming that in this corner of the planet, enlightened conversation can spark at the most unexpected and mundane moments. He goes on to quote the Master.

"If we are to be truly radically free, we need to give up the narrative that we were kicked out of paradise in the first place," he says.

Interesting philosophy, considering.

I ask him if he has read the Vanity Fair article.

Of course he hasn't, he has more important things to do.