Selena Gomez has been candid about her issues with social media and the impact it has had on her mental health. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, the Only Murders in the Building star discussed how she took a break from social media to treat herself well.
The 30-year-old singer stated that following her split from Justin Bieber in 2018, she turned over her social media credentials to her assistant due to internet hostility surrounding their breakup. Selena described how the criticism affected her mental health, causing her to feel bombarded with the information she didn’t want from a young age.
“People can call me ugly or stupid, and I’m like, Whatever. But these people get detailed,” she continued. “They write paragraphs that are so specific and mean. I would constantly be crying. (And) I constantly had anxiety…I couldn’t do it anymore. It was a waste of my time.”
Since then, the singer has “created a system” in which she can communicate with social media on her own terms. Selena has returned to Instagram, although she delegated account management to her staff. In terms of feedback, her staff will compile a few encouraging comments.
Selena has found comfort in one app, TikTok, which she finds less antagonistic. She thinks social media is great because it allows her to engage with fans and see their joy and tales. However, that is usually filtered through her team.
Hailey Bieber addressed the rumors that she had “stolen” Justin from Selena in September. In October, the model posed for a photo with Selena, and on the Call Her Daddy podcast, she remarked, “It has nothing to do with me. So, I respect that a lot, but I know that it closed a chapter, and I think it was the best thing that could have happened for him to move on and be engaged and get married and like; move on with his life in that way.”
Selena’s decision to avoid social media in order to treat herself; with respect demonstrates that mental health should always come first.
