Social media has become a central part of our lives as it enables us to stay connected with our loved ones and get quick access to information. But it’s no secret that it can also take a toll on our mental health, and the only thing we can do is distance ourselves and take a much-needed break.
Take a look at Selena Gomez, for example.
Speaking with Good Morning America, the “Revelación” singer revealed that she had put a distance between herself and the internet for over four years now.
“I haven’t been on the internet in four and a half years,” Gomez said. “It has changed my life completely. I am happier. I am more present. I connect more with people. It makes me feel normal.”
Gomez added: “I understand how powerful the internet is, and in so many ways it’s done the best things for the world. But for me, I get my news that is actually important through [the] people in my life.”
The Only Murders in the Building star has previously opened up about how social media, particularly Instagram, affected her mental health. In an interview with InStyle, Gomez admitted how Instagram became “my whole world,” which put her in a “dangerous” situation.
The singer-actress said: “In my early 20s, I felt like I wasn’t pretty enough. There was a whole period in my life when I thought I needed makeup and never wanted to be seen without it.”
Gomez went on to continue that she had learned to take control of her feelings to be able to gain back her self-confidence. So, she took a social media detox, which became the “best decision that I’ve ever made for my mental health.”
Currently, Selena Gomez holds the record of being the second most followed woman on Instagram with over 309 million followers, trailing behind Kylie Jenner who has 325 million Instagram followers. Although she can be seen posting photos on her Instagram account, Gomez’s team has been the one handling the account for the past few years. She also shared that she created a system “where I still don’t have my passwords.”
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“And the unnecessary hate and comparisons went away once I put my phone down. I’ll have moments where that weird feeling will come back, but now I have a much better relationship with myself,” Gomez said.
The beauty entrepreneur has recently pursued a new endeavor where she co-founded a multimedia company called Wondermind, alongside her mother, Mandy Teefey, and Newsette founder/CEO Daniella Pierson. Wondermind, according to the trio, aims to provide free online resources “for anyone with feelings who wants to feel understood and loved.”
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Gomez is known for being vocal about her mental health struggle, where she talked openly about her bipolar disorder diagnosis. She said: “I felt a huge weight lifted off me when I found out. I could take a deep breath and go, ‘Okay, that explains so much.’”
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