Selena Gomez is one of the most popular celebrities on social media. With over 300 million followers across platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, she has an incredibly large online presence. However, in recent years she has taken multiple social media breaks for her mental health. This has led many to wonder – does Selena Gomez still use social media?
Selena’s History with Social Media
Selena joined Instagram in 2011 and Twitter in 2009 when she was still starring in Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place. As her music career took off, so did her online popularity. By 2014, she became the most followed person on Instagram. She was an early adopter of Instagram stories and live videos, engaging with fans daily.
However, the constant spotlight and attention eventually took a toll. In 2014, Selena entered rehab for anxiety and depression, linking it to pressures from fame. She took her first social media break in 2016, not posting for 3 months. She later explained she felt “extremely unauthentic” and craved more meaningful connections.
Instagram Breaks
In September 2018, Gomez abruptly deactivated her Instagram account, surprising her 150 million followers. She reactivated it after 4 months, posting “I took some time away to just live life, without a camera in my face.”
In January 2020, Selena announced she had deleted Instagram from her phone and would be handing her account to others to post content. “It just got to a point where I was like, ‘I’m just going to have to take this into my own hands and be more involved.’” She said social media had given her a “complex.”
Mental Health Advocacy
In recent interviews, Selena has criticized social media’s negative effects, especially on young people.
“I think it’s pretty impossible to make it out emotionally stable and completely sound without therapy…The older I get, the more I really am like, ‘No, I know who I am.’ I’m strong. I’m capable. I’m kind. I need people around me who can tell me that it’s OK not to be OK.” – Elle Interview (2019)
“I believe social media has been terrible for my generation. I understand that it’s amazing to use your platform, but it does scare me when you see how exposed these young girls and boys are, no one seems to care…it can be great in moments but I would be careful and allow yourself time limits in using them.” -Live in Chile (2019)
Current Social Media Use
While Selena has clearly taken big steps back from social media, she still maintains accounts across all major platforms. They are primarily run by her team, who post content related to her professional work like music, films, makeup, and advocacy.
She will occasionally write personal posts signed “SG” for more meaningful updates like mental health awareness and political issues she cares about. However, it’s clear Selena herself is minimally involved in the day-to-day social media grind.
“I don’t have it on my phone, so there’s no temptation. I suddenly had to learn how to be with myself. That was annoying, because in the past, I could spend hours looking at other people’s lives. I would find places to take me away from me. I would find an escape.” – Elle Interview (2021)
Selena’s Reasons for Limiting Social Media
In interviews over the years, Selena has explained several reoccurring reasons she chooses to limit her social media use:
Mental Health
Selena has been public about her struggles with anxiety and depression. She recognizes that constantly being online was negatively impacting her mental wellbeing:
“I noticed with me, it got pretty unhealthy. I think I used it more as a distraction, and I think that can turn into something worse if you’re not paying attention to how it’s affecting your life.” – Live in Chile (2019)
Addiction
Like many, Selena admitted she found it addictive to be on social media all day. She wanted to break that habit:
“It was affecting me in a way where I was numbing myself through it almost. I find myself mindlessly scrolling sometimes which I don’t like doing.” – Live in Chile (2019)
Negativity
While social media has positives, Selena focused on how much it exposes you to negativity and criticism from strangers:
“I’m happy that I’m not looking at those comments, because I think I used to read them.”- Elle Interview (2019)
“I don’t think people are getting the right information sometimes. It becomes noise where it shouldn’t be noise.” – Elle Interview (2019)
Authenticity
Selena struggled feeling like what she posted online was a fake representation of herself. She wanted to live more authentically:
“I would find myself in situations where I should be enjoying myself, and instead I’m looking for an escape. I would just sit at home and find these weird rabbit holes to go down, and I was getting myself depressed.” – Elle Interview (2021)
Focus
By removing distractions like social media, Selena has been able to be more present and put her energy into the things she cares about:
“I have something really important coming out. I want to be able to give it all my attention.” – Instagram Live (2020)
Privacy
Selena admitted wanting more privacy after having her entire young life online led to intense scrutiny:
“I think it’s just become really unhealthy, I think, personally, for young people, including myself, to spend all of their time fixating on all these comments and letting this stuff in.” – KISS FM UK (2019)
Does Selena Post on Social Media Herself Now?
Based on Selena’s interviews over the years, it seems clear she does not actively use social media herself on a daily basis anymore. She has removed apps from her phone and handed accounts over to a social media team.
However, she still occasionally will post personal updates related to mental health awareness, political issues, or meaningful life events signed “SG” indicating she wrote it.
Many assume if there is no “SG” it is her team posting promotional content or throwback photos on her behalf. So while you may still see daily posts from Selena’s accounts, the vast majority are no longer posted by her.
Quotes on Her Personal Use
Here are some direct quotes from Selena on her current relationship with social media:
“I don’t have it on my phone, so there’s no temptation. I suddenly had to learn how to be with myself. That was annoying, because in the past, I could spend hours looking at other people’s lives. I would find places to take me away from me. I would find an escape.” – Elle Interview (2021)
“I don’t even know my own [social media] passwords. I actually don’t have my passwords. So I can’t log into Instagram, even if I wanted to.” – Elle Interview (2021)
“I took the apps off my phone, to take the temptation out of mindlessly looking at things that don’t matter.” – Elle Interview (2019)
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Selena Gomez still has extremely popular social media accounts, she herself is not an active daily user anymore. After mental health struggles she directly linked to pressures from fame and online hate, Selena has set major boundaries with social media. She has handed her accounts over to a social media team and removed apps from her phone to avoid mindless scrolling. She will occasionally post meaningful personal updates, but the majority of content now comes from her team. This allows Selena to focus on her music, acting, and advocacy work while nurturing her mental health and living more authentically.