Comedian Amy Poehler, of “Parks and Recreation” fame, says she’s “not a real social media person,” and largely avoids its altogether. “I try not to read too much online because I always get my feelings hurt, even if someone’s flattering you.”
“The amount of Instagram selfies seems crazy out-of-control,” Poehler said in an interview with Paper Magazine in 2013. “Pictures [used to be] an addition to the experience. Now the picture is the experience.”
However, Poehler’s nonprofit, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, does have a presence on Twitter and Instagram.
Her frequent co-star and longtime friend, Tina Fey, stays away from social media just as much. Fey also once said to Entertainment Tonight she would only join social media when she was able to show her nipples. When asked by a fellow actor why she wasn’t on Instagram, Fey reportedly responded: “Why would I give my jokes away for free?”
“Friends” star Jennifer Aniston has said she stays off of social media simply to maintain her sanity. “Now you have social media and you’ve added this extra pressure of seeing if someone likes or doesn’t like something you did,” Aniston told Vogue in 2017. “We’re creating these man-made challenges and it’s a such a drag.”
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch’s reasons for avoiding social media have more to do with the fact he thinks he would be a “disaster” online. “It would just consume me and I find that whole thing ultimately very toxic,” Cumberbatch told People in 2016. “I’d much rather spend my energy doing what brought me to their attention in the first place, which is my work.”
Actress Mila Kunis has also voiced her views about the downsides of social media, which is why she hasn’t created any accounts. “[The internet] took an ugly turn and became all about who can be the loudest, who can be the angriest and the most negative,” Kunis said in an interview last year. “Then it’s just not a fun game to play.”
Kate Winslet hasn’t minced her words about the negativity of social media, and has referred to it as “the single most damaging place for a young woman to spend her time.” Social media has created so-called “perfect” images of beauty for young people that are ultimately “unattainable,” Winslet said in 2017.
As an incredibly public figure, like actress Emma Stone, the level of scrutiny and desire for perfection is amplified on social media. “It wouldn’t be a positive thing for me,” Stone told ELLE. “If people can handle that sort of output and input in the social media sphere, power to them.”
In the case of Jennifer Lawrence, a true millennial at age 29, she doesn’t have social media because “the internet has scorned me so much.” However, Lawrence revealed last year she made an account where she doesn’t post, but only watches to see what unfolds.
Actress Scarlett Johansson has called social media “a very strange phenomenon,” where people freely share mundane photos of making dinner or running errands. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do less than have to continuously share details of my everyday life,” Johansson said in 2011. “I’d rather that people had less access to my personal life.”
In fact, some stars are just like us regarding technology — or at least like our parents. Emily Blunt, 36, said she’s “like a dinosaur” when it comes to social media. She said last year that encounters with celebrities have turned into a “social media currency” for fans, instead of a “genuine interaction.”
Kristen Stewart has acknowledged that social media is incredibly omnipresent in society, but has said it’s not something she wants to invest time in. “Much cooler, productive rad things could be happening,” Stewart told CBS in 2016. “We could be doing way cooler s–t. It’s so time-consuming.”
George Clooney has said that in the entertainment industry, being popular on social media is often aligned with talent, although the two don’t go hand-in-hand. However, Clooney also said that social media can help “force you to make better products” in response to instant online backlash.
Some celebrities, like Keira Knightley, have tried their hand at social media, only to delete their accounts. “I did actually join Twitter for about 12 hours because I tried to be down with the kids and it just creeped me out,” Knightley said in a radio interview in 2014.
Daniel Radcliffe, of “Harry Potter” fame, has said he doesn’t need to try out social media to know he’d be “crap” at it. “I would get into fights. I don’t have the mental fortitude for the internet,” Radcliffe said on a talk show in February. “I’ve never quite been comfortable with it.”
Originally published on Business Insider.
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