Tom Holland: Spider-Man actor steps back from ‘overwhelming’ social mediaon August 15, 2022 at 11:09 am

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has said he is stepping back from social media, as he finds it can be “detrimental” to his mental health.

Holland, 26, is the latest young star, following the likes of Selena Gomez, to discuss how sites like Twitter and Instagram can have harmful effects.

Many fans applauded him for it online, with one calling it “a smart move”.

In a video posted online, Holland said: “I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming.

“I get caught up and I spiral when I read things about me online and ultimately it’s very detrimental to my mental state.

“So I decided to take a step back and delete the app.”

Holland stars as the titular superhero in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which critics praised last year on its release and was hugely successful at the box office.

In the video, posted to his 67 million Instagram followers, Holland took the opportunity to promote a charity dedicated to encouraging positive mental health among teenagers.

“Please take all the time you need,” commented another fan. “The thing that matters the most is your well being.”

Pop star Justin Bieber, who has previously spoken up about his own mental health issues, replied with: “Love you man.”

The actor’s social media activity had become less frequent in recent months.

Last year, a report from the Education Policy Institute and The Prince’s Trust found teenagers’ mental health, well-being and self-esteem was being damaged by heavy social media use.

Actor and singer Gomez noted a few years ago that social media has been “terrible” for her generation, urging people to set time limits on their online activity.

Other stars like Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello and Demi Lovato have also taken themselves off social media for certain periods of time.