“Spider-Man: No Way Home” star Tom Holland announced to fans that he will be taking a break from social media to preserve his mental health.
The 26-year-old star shared the three-minute video on Instagram over the weekend, explaining his reasoning for his decision. “I have taken a break from social media for my mental health because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” he shared. Holland currently boasts more than 67 million Instagram followers.
“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,” he continued. “There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn’t something we should be ashamed of.”
Holland concluded by thanking fans for always being there for him. “I love you all and I’ll speak to you soon,” he said. The video caption also promoted the UK-based teen mental health charity, Stem4.
Holland isn’t the first big-name celebrity to ditch social media despite legions of devoted fans. During an interview with Good Morning America (GMA) earlier this year, former Disney Channel star Selena Gomez opened up about her decision to quit popular platforms.
“I haven’t been on the internet in four and a half years,” the 29-year-old actress told GMA, as previously reported by The Daily Wire. “It has changed my life completely. I am happier, I am more present, I connect more with people. It makes me feel normal.”
Megan Fox had similar statements on the potential harm caused by social media usage. “I have social media, but I don’t personally use it,” Fox said in an April interview with Glamour UK. “I have somebody who posts for me and I decide what I want to say. But I think it’s sinister. I think it’s evil.”
Fox described how social media has led to an explosion of online bullying, negatively impacting celebrities especially.
“I don’t think people understand that we’ve come to this place where we grasp, ‘Bullying is bad,’” the actress continued. “Children shouldn’t be bullied. It leads to self-hate. And eventually in some cases leads to suicide. But then when it comes to a celebrity, all of that is thrown out the window and people spend so much of their time bullying celebrities.”