Why Celebrities Like Bindi Irwin And Naomi Osaka Are Taking Social Media Breaks — And You Should, Too
Give it a second before opening Instagram again.
DFree / Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock Social media was made for sharing — but the line into oversharing can be crossed frequently and all too easily.
It can be helpful and healthy to take break and detox from social media at times, and some of our favorite celebs — like Bindi Irwin and Naomi Osaka — are doing just that right now.
Why is taking a social media break healthy?
Sure, posting pics from vacation or tweeting about your favorite celeb is fun, but sometimes social media can feel like a performance.
We typically post only the best versions of ourselves online. Who wants to see me crying while eating a tub of ice cream and watching "The Bachelorette?" Not anyone I know, that's for sure. Or at least, that's how it feels.
We asked life coach Maria Tomas-Keegan about the power of taking a pause from the life on social networking apps.
"Taking a break from social media is like turning off your outdoor watering system when it’s raining," she says. "If you don’t, you can over-water the root system, and all kinds of symptoms appear."
In fact, some of our favorite celebs don't even have social media accounts, like Paul Rudd, Kristen Stewart and Emma Stone. Maybe they're better off for it?
Why is Bindi Irwin taking a break from social media?
Following the birth of her first child, Bindi Irwin, daughter of late Australian zookeeper and television personality Steve Irwin, revealed she has decided to step away from social media.
Irwin has had a complicated life. Her father died from a fatal stingray incident when she was just 8 years old. Ever since, she's been in the spotlight, following her father's lead and appearing on wildlife shows.
Just three months after giving birth to her daughter, Grace, Irwin announced her decision to step out of the limelight for a bit.
In a post she shared on both Instagram and Twitter, Irwin said, "I’m taking a break from social media and most of my work in the public eye for a month to be with my beautiful daughter and my wonderful family."
Irwin also added, "To my friends who are dealing with depression, anxiety, and other battles every day — I see you ... Mental health deserves more understanding and support instead of being dismissed or patronized."
Why is Naomi Osaka taking a break from social media?
As Irwin said, mental health needs to be prioritized, especially since social media clearly doesn't care about your mental health or anyone else's.
And recently, Naomi Osaka, the world's number-one female tennis player, also spoke out about the reasons taking a break is so important — especially for your mental health.
After considering its impact on her wellbeing, Osaka decided not to do the press conference during the Roland Garros tournament. This led to Osaka being fined for $15,000 by the French Open.
Ultimately, Osaka withdrew from the tournament and didn't play at all.
Osaka opened up about this on her Instagram and Twiiter, saying, "I have suffered long bouts of depression since the US Open in 2018."
Osaka also mentioned that she frequently wears headphones during tournaments to dull her anxiety. Even major tennis stars have to take breaks from social media. The pressure to perform for the media was too much for Osaka so she took a break, as she should.
Knowing your limits is so important. For Osaka, she had to draw the line to preserve her mental health and for some reason, no one could understand that.
After the press came down on Osaka, shaming her for opting out, Osaka decided to "take some time away from the court now, but when the time is right I really wanna work with the tour to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."
Osaka skipped out on Wimbledon too, though she'll be back for the Olympics in Tokyo.
Her time away from the court and the press wasn't her only break.
Since May 31, Osaka has only posted on Twitter once, to mention she was featured on the cover of Vogue Japan. Seemingly she's taking some well-deserved time away, noting she was "just popping out to post this."
Social media doesn't take breaks, but you should.
Even if you aren't the number-one tennis player in the world or you just had a child, social media can be a vacuum — sucking you in and making you think you need to change the way you look, eat, or behave based on someone else's opinion. It can be taxing.
Sometimes you just need to step away, even if it's just for a day or two.
According to Keegan, "There are so many benefits from taking a break from social media, and they all start with taking time to be good to yourself."
"When it’s time to go back and recheck your phone," she adds, "remember how the break made you feel, and plan the next one soon."
Kat Mackay is a writer who covers entertainment and good news