It’s no secret that social media can be toxic. Scrolling on Instagram for hours, comparing yourself to others, FOMO, sometimes you just need to take a break from it all. A social media break might be needed every now and again and if there’s one person who knows a lot about social media breaks, it’s Selena Gomez.
At one point in time, Selena Gomez was the number one most followed person on Instagram, and it’s easy to see why, with her beauty and talent. Selena has always been a champion for mental health. Her Rare Impact Fund was launched recently with the goal of raising $100 million over the next decade to support mental health services. Selena is very, and I mean very, public about when she needs a social media break, which in a way is great for reducing stigma around the effects of social media on mental health, but also in a way, very comical.
Her breaks have become more and more frequent and increasingly shorter in length. Sometimes she announces a social media break and can be seen liking people’s photos just hours later which, me too, girl.
The timeline is as follows (to the best of my research abilities):
The first instance occurred in 2016, coincidentally because she was the most followed person on Instagram. That’s no doubt a lot of pressure! A lot of followers to please!
Now fast-forward to 2018, post-Bieber. September 23, to be exact. Selena posts a cute selfie. But then, she edits the caption to announce her second break, reminding followers of the power of negative comments following her breakup with on-again-off-again boyfriend Justin Bieber. This was by far Selena’s longest break.
In an interview, Selena shared that she stayed off of the Internet for four and a half years, which brings us to right about now. Following her return to social media is her exit.
Right around this time last year, in February of 2023, Selena gets caught up in the Hailey Bieber drama, as did many others (I’m looking at you, Kylie Jenner). We all thought the pair had squashed the beef following their iconic photo together at the 2022 Academy Museum Gala, but clearly we were wrong. Selena announces another breaking, claiming she is too old for the drama. She returns just days later, but waits almost a month to post her apology to Hailey.
In October of 2023, Selena comments on Gaza and says she has been staying away from social media to avoid the terror and hate. Her statement has been critiqued by many as she, the once most-followed person claimed a post won’t change anything. Selena only stays off social media until meal time, however, posting her food on her story not even a day later.
Selena starts dating Benny Blanco (???) in December and very publicly (in Instagram comments) defended her man and their relationship. She announces yet another break, but yet again, is back within a day.
New year, same Selena- On January 9, 2024 Selena announces another social media break to focus on “what really matters,” she writes over a video of her boyfriend. Clearly these two can’t get enough of each other. This break was very short lived as a video of her and Taylor Swift at the Golden Globes arose and she was quick to dispel the rumors that Kylie Jenner denied Selena’s request for a photo with Timothee Chalamet (another couple that’s not making sense to me…).
While Selena may not have the best grasp on what a social media break looks like, I encourage you to reflect on your own media habits and decide what’s best for you!