Tom Holland logs off social media for mental health

Taking a cue from Peter Parker/Spider-Man (uh, spoiler alert?), Tom Holland is seeking to stay out of the public eye–online, at least. Holland will be shunning social media for the foreseeable future, citing mental health concerns and awareness.

I have taken a break from social media for my mental health because 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..”

The caption accompanying the Instagram post reads: “Hello and goodbye… I have been taking a break from social media for my mental health…”

He then nudged followers to stem4, “a charity that promotes positive mental health in teenagers,” with focus on anxiety, depression and addiction. A fan favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and teenagers around the globe, hopefully Holland’s post can bring further awareness to the crisis. After all, numerous studies have linked social media and the increase in teenage mental health issues.

Holland’s concerns over privacy have only grown throughout his career. He noted in a 2021 GQ cover story that his relationship with co-star Zendaya has been under constant media watch: “One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore, and a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world.”

Holland’s logging off social media may not be a surprise to his followers, as he had been on a quiet hiatus, having not posted on Instagram for over one month and Twitter since February, but used his most recent post to formally acknowledge his distance. For now, his nearly 68 million Instagram followers will have to suffice scrolling through the archives of 1,200+ posts, with many being publicity and promotional materials.

Something tells us Holland’s lack of social media promotion for the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars won’t hurt its box office numbers.