‘My ego is too fragile…': Scarlett Johansson opens up about why she doesn't use social media

Indian Express

2 days ago

Navigating this digital age feels no less than walking across a minefield. Struggling with your follower count, watching people upload their highlight reels on their social media accounts and feeling like you're not doing well enough in love, career, and life are feelings too many of us are familiar with.
While it might feel like you are going through this journey all alone, Scarlett Johansson showed us that she is in the same boat as us. In an episode of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, the Black Widow actor opened up about why she avoids using social media, stating anxiety to be a major contributing factor.
'I honestly am too fragile a person to have social media. I can't. My ego is too fragile. I'm like a delicate flower. I like the smell, but..I have enough anxiety that would give me so much anxiety,' she said.
Recalling a particularly self-introspective moment, the Avengers actor shared: 'I had Instagram once for three days, and then I started realising that I had spent 20 minutes looking at somebody's Instagram page, who has worked for a friend of mine, I'm like, 'Now I know you have a pitbull and two children, and now you live in Burbank' and I was like, 'What? I just wasted 17 minutes of my time!'
'I now feel like I should move to California, get this specific dog and change my life in all these ways. I felt so bad, like I was missing out on this random person's life. I can't do this,' Johansson added.
Indianexpress.com spoke to counselling psychologist Srishti Vatsa and understood how social media fuels comparison and what can you do to navigate such situations.
'Comparison, in general, can lead to feelings of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It's important to understand the difference between healthy competition and unhealthy comparison. The constant showcasing of lives on social media is often driven by a need for validation. Social media makes it easy to see what others are doing, which can lead to constant comparisons — especially in relationships,' explained Vatsa.
According to her, what people show online is often far from reality, but many end up feeling inadequate in their own lives or relationships while chasing the 'perfect' images they see. This can lead to frustration, sadness, or resentment.
Piyali Maity, Clinical Director, Counselling Operations, 1to1help, told indianexpress.com that social media fuels comparison in several ways especially with 'selective sharing'. 'The reel v/s reality is the most common, where people share only the best portions of their lives which are far from day-to-day reality,' she said, adding that the widespread use of filters and editing tools further increases the gap between reality and what is portrayed, making others' lives appear more glamorous or perfect.
Validation that one gets from increased followers, likes and comments on the posts unconsciously leads to comparing one's popularity or success with others. 'What makes it worse is the constant exposure to updates and fulfilling experiences of others which can trigger one to compare oneself and feel like they are missing out on something better in life,' Maity added.
Social media can inspire some people, but it's important to recognize when it starts having a negative impact. If you find yourself constantly comparing, overspending to match trends, or feeling unhappy with your own life, it's time to take a step back and reflect.
To avoid these pitfalls, Vatsa suggested setting limits on your social media usage and focus on spending time with people in real life. 'Mindless scrolling, especially when it's used to escape from reality, can be harmful. It creates a cycle of seeking quick dopamine hits, which can hurt productivity and mental well-being,' she concluded.