The tea is piping hot right now! ICYMI, Selena Gomez decided to take a break from social media because of — get ready for this — eyebrows! It sounds crazy, but that’s what’s going on with the songstress’ life right now. Things got so out of hand that Selena had to take a break from the online world. But what are the benefits of social media breaks? And which celebrities decided that they needed one?
Selena Gomez Defends Best Friend Taylor Swift and Herself
Swifties and Selenators are going crazy on social media right now because of an old video that resurfaced. In the video, Method Man and Hailey Bieber were talking about a rap battle. Method Man described it as “some of the meanest lyrics about a celebrity since Taylor Swift’s last album.” As soon as the Wu-Tang Clan member said that, Hailey Bieber put a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag.
Now, in case you don’t follow celeb gossip — Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift consider each other best friends. Selena Gomez was also Justin Bieber’s on and off girlfriend for eight years. When the pair broke up for good in 2018, Justenas were, obviously, heartbroken. But Justin Bieber didn’t stay single for long — a few months after his split with Selena Gomez, the Peaches singer married Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin).
For years (up until now), many of the fans simply just didn’t “ship” the married couple — as they just can’t get over Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez’s break up. And if you look at social media posts by the fans, you’ll often see videos and posts where Selena and Hailey are pitted against each other — even though both of them stayed neutral; they would even say to fans not to compare anyone — celeb or not — to another person. Both encouraged women empowerment, to celebrate individuality, and to support other women.
When the video of Hailey Bieber (gagging when she heard Taylor Swift’s name) resurfaced a few days ago, this again grabbed the internet’s attention. To say that everyone went wild is an understatement — but that wasn’t the only drama that transpired!
While on TikTok, Selena Gomez told fans how she accidentally over-laminated her eyebrows. And not long after, Kylie Jenner (who happens to be a friend of Hailey Bieber) posted on her Instagram story a photo of her with the caption “this was an accident??????” Then, the beauty mogul followed up with a screenshot of her and Hailey Bieber on FaceTime with only their brows shown.
Fans accused the two “nepo babies” as “mean girls.” So far, this gagging, eyebrow lamination, social media break drama is still ongoing.
While Selena Gomez is on a social media break, let’s discuss other celebrities who took a social media time-out — or quit being online for good.
Celebrities Who Quit Social Media — Or Took a Social Media Break
The digital age made it easier for celebs to connect with their fans. However, many of them get involved in online controversies, they don’t feel the need to reach out as often, and some just don’t see the value of social media to their line of work. Celebrities like Megan Fox and Britney Spears recently deleted their Instagram accounts — and even by doing that, it also alarmed fans. Sometimes, to the point of them calling authorities to ask for a welfare check on their idols.
But most of the celebs who are on a social media break have a good reason for them not being around online. Here are some of your favorite celebrities who don’t have an active social media presence:
Ed Sheeran
A few years ago, Ed Sheeran was somewhat all over the internet. He collaborated with Khalid in Beautiful People, released Shape of You, and even re-recorded his part in Taylor Swift’s Everything Has Changed. In 2019, however, the British singer made a New Year’s resolution.
After the release of his Divide album, Ed Sheeran said, “now it’s all over it’s time to go out and see some more of the world,” he added, “I’ve been a bit nonstop since 2017 so I’m just gonna take a breather to travel, write and read … I promise to be back with some new music when the time is right.”
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes is a self-proclaimed “social media addict.” And you can tell he’s fond of being online — especially on TikTok; his videos were all over the app before his online hiatus. The reason for his social media break, the Canadian claims, “TikTok is great. I have extreme social media addiction, so I have to really balance myself out,” he also told his followers that he was “having a little bit of a hard time” being online “at the moment.”
Ariana Grande
One of the many “queens” of social media was Ariana Grande. Her songs are (still) all over the internet, her fashion influence is very much evident online, and countless pop culture topics were all about her at one point. But in the Christmas of 2021, Ariana Grande deleted her Twitter account. She signed off with the message, “Merry :)” — the thank u, next singer seems to have found peace now that she’s married and away from all the tea and controversies that happened years prior.
Jenna Marbles
Back then, YouTube was a place to post lighthearted and funny videos. (Yes! This was the pre-drama phase!) One of the pioneer YouTubers was Jenna Marbles. She posted relatable content, toxic-free comedy, and chaotic videos of her dogs. But one video of her resurfaced where she was portraying Nicki Minaj.
Because times have changed, Jenna Marbles was called out for allegedly doing a blackface. As a result, she quit social media entirely. Her now-husband, Julian, still posts from time to time. He gives updates on their dogs, Marbles, Kermit (aka the nasty boy, “An Cermet”), Peach (who still owes Jenna money), and Bunny.
Benefits of Taking a Break From Social Media
Having social media accounts seems like a prerequisite these days. But if you look at the bigger picture, it’s actually far from being a necessity. Unless your career is dependent on your online presence (and even if it, in fact, actually is), taking a break from social media can be beneficial to your mental health.
Here’s why.
- You have more time for yourself and your loved ones.
- You’re less likely to purchase or spend on products you see on online ads — or items that your favorite social media influencers use; and sometimes, the products that they’re sponsored to recommend to their followers.
- You won’t feel as insecure or your self-esteem will less likely be affected by the influencers you see online. After all, some of them admit to photoshopping their photos and having expensive surgeries to look a certain way.
Studies show that taking a social media time-out
- Improves sleep and social connectedness
- Reduces anxiety and improves mood
- Reduces stress
- Reduces feelings of depression and loneliness
If we’re already following celebrities and their lifestyles, perhaps we should imitate their positive actions more often – like taking a social media break. Though there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being available online, but when it’s at the cost of your health (like your self-esteem and your time that can — personally and physically — be spent on your loved ones), perhaps you can temporarily deactivate your social media accounts for a bit. So you can appreciate everything else life has in store for you!
It doesn’t have to be a complete social media blackout. You can still check on current events online and get updates from your friends and family via other messaging apps — you know, instead of relying on your social media news feed! Go ahead and ACTUALLY ask them what’s going on in their lives!
