Tom Holland Opened Up About Why He Chose To Disappear From Instagram And Twitter

Tom Holland is logging off. Fans of the actor have noticed he’s been radio silent on social media for a while now, but he returned to Instagram briefly on Aug. 13 to explain his break from the apps. Holland vulnerably shared with his followers that his hiatus was a necessary choice he needed to make for the sake of his mental health.

Oftentimes it’s easy to forget that celebrities are not exempt from feeling burnt out, anxious, depressed, or anything less than perfectly fine. After going about a month and a half without posting to Instagram, Holland surprised his followers by posting a frank video on Aug. 13, which explained that he decided to step away from social media to protect his mental health. By sharing with his followers, Holland opened up the conversation around mental health and how it can be related to online culture. “I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” he admitted. On Instagram alone, Holland has 67 million followers, and that number continues to skyrocket with each new project he takes on.

Holland continued to express how deeply social media has affected him: “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.” Stepping away from social media can be incredibly difficult, especially when you have as dedicated a fanbase as Holland, but he continued to shed light on his choice and how he intends to devote his energy to advocacy.

In 2017, Holland’s parents Nikki and Dom set up The Brothers Trust (the name being a nod to Holland and his brothers, Sam and Harry), a not-for-profit organization that aims to further the conversation on mental health and call for change in the accessibility of mental health care. Their mission statement reads: “The trust is keen to shine a light on charities who struggle to be heard in the noisy and competitive not-for-profit sector - and charities who can best demonstrate the most effective use of funds to profit the people in need and not on bloated administration.”

Holland’s return to social media may have been brief, but he used it to talk about stem4, one of the charities Holland supports through The Brothers Trust. Stem4 offers mental health care to teenagers, young adults, and anyone that needs a little extra care. “There is an awful stigma against mental health and I know that asking for help and seeking help isn’t something that we should be ashamed of, but it is something that is much easier said than done,” Holland explained in his video. Stem4 offers 4 apps for mental health care, each with an important mission of their own that Holland outlines in his post.

When the 3 minute video came to a close, Holland vowed to continue his break from social media and offered his love for the fans that have stuck by his side. The caption to the video concludes with, “Love to you all, and let’s get talking about mental health.” If you want to join the fight for change, all proceeds from any merchandise purchased from The Brothers Trust will go to stem4.