Say goodbye to Tom Holland… for now, because the actor is taking a break from social media.
Most of us have experienced it before. We scroll and we scroll through Instagram. We watch video after video on TikTok. And we take in TOO MUCH info on Twitter. Social media burn out is hard. But imagine being a celebrity and seeing posts about you during those moments! Internet posts can get UGLY and it sounds like Tom Holland has had enough.
The Spider-Man: No Way Home and Uncharted star announced yesterday that he’ll be taking a break from social media for mental health reasons. This includes deleting the Twitter and Instagram apps on his phone.
He said in an Instagram video, “Hi guys, so I’ve been trying to make this do an hour now, and for someone that has spent the last 13, 14 years, however long I’ve been acting, I cannot seem to say what I need to say without ‘umming’ and ‘arring’ every five minutes. So I’m going to try again. So 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.”
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This isn’t the first time that the actor has taken a break from social media. In fact, he’s removed himself from Instagram several times in the past. But part of why Holland made an announcement this time was to direct people to the charity Stem4. Stem4 is a collective that works with Holland via his The Brothers Trust organization. The charity offers four different apps to help people struggling with their mental health.
“On this very, very brief return to Instagram, I thought it would be very important and a good idea to shed some light on a charity that we sponsor which is stem4,” Holland continued in the video. “Stem4 is a wonderfully innovative education program. Its pioneering apps, clinically advised website, and its mental health conferences helped contribute towards helping young kids who were suffering.”
“There are four apps that they offer,” he added. “They are all completely free. The first one is to Calm Harm and to help manage and reduce intense emotions such as the urge to self-harm. The second is Clear Fear, to help manage and reduce the symptoms of anxiety. The third is Combined Minds, to help friends and family members support a young person’s mental health, and finally the fourth one is Move Mood, to increase motivation and lift low moods.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CffSoQxpnGy/
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Back in 2017, Tom Holland announced that he was opening a trust fund called the Brothers Trust. The trust holds events for charity. Proceeds from these events go to one of many charities that Holland and his brothers – Harry, Paddy, and Sam – love. Some charities includes the Lunchbowl Network, which helps feed children in Kenya; Momentum, which helps Kensington Hospital, where the Holland brothers were born; DEBRA, a charity that helps patients and families affected by Epidermolysis Bullosa; and more.
“The Brothers Trust is supporting [Stem4] because we think it’s a fantastic cause,” Holland continued in the video. “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. So hopefully these apps can be your first step towards being happier and healthier.”
Holland then ended his video on a call to action. He asked his followers to help donate to the Trust.
He concluded, “So thank you for listening, but something that’s also very important is that these charities also need help. The Brothers Trust is a fund raising vehicle to help raise money so these charities can continue to do the fantastic work that they’re doing. So if you feel so inclined to help us help them and in turn help others, go to our website, buy yourself a t-shirt, all of the money goes to all of the charities that we support. So we greatly appreciate your love and support. Again, if you’re suffering, and you need help, download one of the apps that stem4 has to offer. I have all of them, I’ve tried them all, they’re all fantastic. They’re really helpful. So again thank you for listening. I’m going to disappear from Instagram again. And to everyone out there thanks for your love and support. I love you all, and I’ll speak to you soon.”
As for his work outside of charity and social media, Tom Holland is currently filming a new series for AppleTV+. The upcoming drama anthology series was created by Akiva Goldsman (Star Trek: Picard) and will take inspiration from the novel The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes.
