Jenna Ortega finds life online 'very isolating'

Perth Now

18 hours ago

Jenna Ortega finds life online "very isolating" and worries it's "harder to find a sense of self" in the age of social media.
The Wednesday star, 22, is convinced many people "don't talk to each other in person" anymore and she thinks it has eroded their sense of community - insisting she likes the idea of life in the 1970s when there was no social media or cell phones.
She told the BBC: "I wasn't around in the 70s, but I hear stories of people knocking on their neighbours' doors, and the bikes going all throughout the city, and just expecting to meet someone at a certain time on a certain location ...
"[Today] people don't talk to each other in person. They're interacting and finding their community online, which can be very isolating.
"Also, there are so many voices and so many opinions that you're exposed to, much more than you would typically be, or that humans are kind of meant to be exposed to.
"So I think it's harder to find a sense of self. Young people are struggling to find: 'What makes my voice stand out? What is it about me in this world and this society today that gives me a sense of purpose or control or authority?'"
Jenna went on to insist The Addams Family spin-off show - in which she plays Wednesday Addams - has an important message for the younger generation.
She explained: "There's great comfort in seeing people who are so obviously themselves, freely, and place priority where it matters, and that's your family, that's who's in front of you, your special interests, that's your strength and your courage and your confidence in your voice.
"It's very easy now to get swept up in some sort of sheep mentality, and I think it's so important for young people to see this family now more than ever."
It comes after it was revealed Wednesday has been renewed for a third season.
The hit Netflix show is set to return on August 6 for the first half of its second series, but a third run of episodes has already been announced.
In a joint statement, showrunners Alfred Cough and Miles Millar said: "It's been a dark delight to watch Wednesday cast her spell over audiences across the globe — one deadpan quip at a time.
"We're beyond thrilled she'll be returning to stalk the halls of Nevermore in Season 3. "This time, she'll unearth more of the school's sinister secrets — and descend even deeper into the Addams family crypt. Or, as Wednesday would say: 'Nothing brings a family together like a good exhumation.'"