Behind the smile of Robin Williams: The inspiring life of a comedic genius
Read More
Credit: Harald Krichel
The human cost of celebrity social media
There’s no doubt that the dawn of the internet and the creation of social media has forever altered the fabric of modern life, changing the way in which we communicate, entertain ourselves, worry, debate and much more. Demanding a change in social attitudes and governmental laws, the internet is a new reality in and of itself, bound by a totally new set of standards that are often hard to navigate.
For a whole generation of young millennials, this invention is nothing new, in fact, it’s all they’ve ever known, with the digital spaces of TikTok, Facebook and YouTube playing host to a flurry of fervent emotion, whether this is expressed in the positivity of a viral dance or the insecurity that spreads freely on Instagram. Operating as a version of real-life injected with a large dose of sensationalism and melodrama, many people find it hard to traverse the jungle of social media, perplexed by their own anxieties, fears and joys of being on such aforementioned platforms.
Such a reality has been reflected by the mass exodus of celebrities from social media, with the Spider-Man star Tom Holland recently taking a break from such platforms, joining a long list of Hollywood actors and musicians who have done the same.
Releasing a video on social media to announce his departure, Holland passionately stated: “I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it’s very detrimental to my mental state…So I decided to take a step back and delete the app”.
Holland’s comments join Jonah Hill’s, with the Oscar-nominated actor penning an open letter that described his crippling anxiety due to the pressure of having to market his movies to the mass media. Leaving social media, Hill and Holland are two of many stars that have discussed the damaging effects of social media, with Kit Harington, Pete Davidson, Lorde, Milly Bobby Brown, Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Ed Sheeran each doing the same in the past.
Creating a swirling emotional mass of issues that can cause depression, anxiety, isolation and self-hatred, the mental health effects of social media are significant, creating a modern primary concern when it comes to the younger generation specifically. This is evident through several major studies, with a 2018 investigation finding that social media use had a direct impact on disrupted, and delayed sleep, which itself is associated with depression, memory loss, and poor academic performance.
Though, for celebrities in particular, who are challenged with providing content for millions of followers, such aforementioned issues are only exacerbated. This is worsened by Cyberbullying, with individuals across the world targeting major stars on social media due to their high profile. In recent years, such has forced Kelly Marie Tran, Lizzo, Millie Bobby Brown, Lorde and more to abandon social media platforms.
These stars have an untold amount of social sway in contemporary society, with many actors having hundreds and thousands of followers who they can influence with advertising posts and more. This puts an unprecedented amount of pressure on young stars who have to juggle a very public life in everyday reality and intense pressure online, feeling as if they cannot escape from the eye of the media.
