Dune star, Zendaya, has opened up on why social media makes her anxious and the importance of taking breaks from it. At the tender age of 25, Zendaya is one of Hollywood's most affluent actresses. She began her career as a child actor on Disney, starring as Rocky Blue in Shake It Up. She has gone on to star as MJ in the MCU's Spider-Man franchise and also boasts award-winning roles in Malcolm & Marie and Euphoria. Most recently, she starred alongside Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve's Dune.
As a young actress in Hollywood, Zendaya has dealt with much public scrutiny. Recently, the internet has blown up over rumors that Zendaya is dating her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland. Rumors have swirled since the very first Spider-Man: Homecoming film, and remained mere rumors as both stars denied any relationship. However, that changed when a photo of Zendaya and Holland kissing surfaced and made its round on the internet. Despite the internet largely expressing enthusiasm over the adorable couple, one must also recognize that the picture of their kiss was a large breach in privacy. While social media enjoys Zendaya's presence, she is opening up on why she struggles with it.
In an interview with People, Zendaya opened up on why social media makes her feel anxious. While one might not guess it considering her career, Zendaya was actually a shy child. Even as an adult, she still carried some of those shy child attitudes with her. This led to her overthinking what she posts on social media and sometimes feeling pressure from her supporters to post. However, she has realized that her supporters want her to exist beyond social media. She urged others who struggle with social media to avoid comparing themselves to others and to feel comfortable taking breaks. Check out her statement below:
I was always a shy kid. I would find being on social media would kind of make me anxious, or I would start to over think a little too much. I haven't been posting, and my fans probably hate it, which I understand. But I get too overwhelmed with having to post things, and if I think too much about it, I'm not gonna do it. It's not worth it... [My fans] want me to be happy and exist beyond social media. I'd rather do what I love and then post when I have a project to promote... Take the time that you need and don't compare yourself to anyone else.
Zendaya is one of many celebrities to denounce social media and its harmful effects. Actresses such as Selena Gomez and Daisy Ridley have even deleted their personal social media accounts, due to being harassed by users or having their mental or physical health callously discussed online. Zendaya brings up an important point that while supporters want updates and posts, it is more important that one posts things that one is passionate about, rather than posting just to post. In this way, Zendaya does away with the anxiety about posting what people want to see and instead chooses to only post about promotions as she lives life in the moment.
Social media is a difficult, and relatively new, force that celebrities must navigate through. While some celebrities have sworn off social media completely, many find it is a necessity for promotional purposes. Some celebrities have even found creative approaches to the platform, such as Brie Larson's Captain Marvel workout series on Instagram. However, others find themselves with thousands of followers and nothing to share or, worst, find racist, sexist, or hateful comments on their social media accounts. Fortunately, Zendaya is speaking out about the issue and assuring other users not to hassle themselves over social media posts. True fans will understand and support a celebrity regardless of their posting frequency. The Dune star encourages all social media users to not compare themselves to others and to put living in the moment over expectations for social media posting.
Source: People