TORONTO — It’s that much harder for celebrities to escape the glare of the spotlight when social media has given them a direct line to the public’s adoration and acrimony.
TORONTO — It’s that much harder for celebrities to escape the glare of the spotlight when social media has given them a direct line to the public’s adoration and acrimony.
Online overexposure has led some A-listers to take a social media hiatus or permanently log off in the name of preserving their mental health.
“Spider-Man” star Tom Holland told his tens of millions of Instagram followers last summer that reading about himself online is “very detrimental to my state of mind.” His only post on the platform since then was promoting charitable causes, including a mental health organization for adolescents.
In August, actor-director Jonah Hill deleted his Instagram account while writing a letter to Deadline saying he would stay out of the public eye to help him cope with anxiety attacks.
Pop sensation Selena Gomez, “Star Wars” star Daisy Ridley and Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas are among the notable names who have spoken out about the benefits of social media breaks.
Canadian Press asked some Hollywood stars how they stay connected on social media while taking care of their mental health.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” actress Stephanie Hsu says she thinks social media is okay in small doses, but it’s hard to exercise digital self-control when the platforms are designed to keep you online.
“I think social media is incredibly toxic to our brains,” Hsu said at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. “It’s made to be really addictive. And that’s why people need to take a break in the same way that they need to take a break from sugar or alcohol.”
Hsu said he dabbles on Instagram from time to time to “pleasing the masses” but longs for a time when online self-promotion wasn’t an occupational requirement for artists.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into that world, because I think it will help the kind of work that people get the green light, the kind of art that artists want to do,” said Hsu, 33.
“I think it will be a healthier ecosystem for all of us if we can reinvest in different ways or older ways of advertising or communicating about art and each other.”
“Never Have I” star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan says her social media hack is muting notifications so she can’t “see what I’m missing.” But he also believes that staying connected has benefits.
“There are parts I like, whether it’s posting silly pictures of my dog or just having fun with my family or friends,” the Toronto-raised actor told TIFF. “I try to keep my focus on those parts and then allow myself to take breaks when I need to.”
Oakville, Ontario native Adam DiMarco, who is adjusting to his rising fame as part of the cast of HBO’s “White Lotus,” says he tries to manage his screen time as part of his health and wellness regimen. .
“I’ve been trying to spend less time on social media, I think a lot of people are coming to that place,” DiMarco said in a phone interview.
Meanwhile, Oscar-winning actress Jessica Chastain takes a drastic approach to digital disconnection.
“For my own sanity… I have a cell phone, but I try to stay as far away from it as possible,” Chastain said on TIFF.
“We stopped engaging because now we’re in our own bubble of what our device is. I try to keep that away or get to that, maybe at the end of the day or every four or five hours to make sure everything is okay.”
— With files from Noel Ransome and David Friend in Toronto
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on December 4, 2022.
Adina Bresge, The Canadian Press
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