Daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, 17-year-old Ireland Baldwin has launched her career as a model and hopes to follow in her parents' footsteps as an actress.

When asked by ETonline.com about her 18th birthday in October, Ireland said, "Hopefully, I'll be beginning acting school by then. [I'll be] just getting a little bit more serious about life...definitely kind of just trekking forward, onward with my journey."

In March, Ireland signed her first professional modeling contract with IMG. She told People magazine that she hopes to one day model for Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue or Victoria's Secret.

"I want to be an inspirational model," Ireland said. "I want people to look at me and say, 'Wow, she looks healthy.' "

Despite being 6'2" and equipped with washboard abs, the teen said she receives rude comments on pictures she posts on social media.

"I have received nasty e-mails, messages on Twitter and ridiculous comments not only about my size but my family," Ireland told People magazine.

In April, she posted an open letter on Tumblr saying, "I understand that I am not a size .008. What I don't fully understand is, what is the good in commenting on a photo of a 17-year-old girl calling her fat, ugly, etc?"

Ireland said she didn't expect the rude comments. "It was really surprising to see how negative people can be towards someone they don't even know." 

The young Baldwin, who frequently posts pictures of herself on Instagram and Twitter, also explained to ETonline.com about why she has such a strong presence on social media.

"For me, the reason why I'm so out there with [social media]...is because it's kind of like a virtual diary," she said."...Social media's what I use to remember the fun and just keep it alive and keep it out there forever. Sometimes you can go a little bit too far, but still, it's just for fun."