- Paul Mescal said that he has to “quit the internet.”
- In the latest episode of “Happy Sad Confused,” Mescal said his algorithm has “too much” of him.
- Mescal rose to fame after his role in the 2020 drama, “Normal People.”
Paul Mescal might be in need of a digital detox.
On Monday’s episode of “Happy Sad Confused,” Josh Horowitz asked the “Gladiator II” star what his algorithm was like.
“I’ve got to quit the internet,” Mescal responded. “It’s like too much. It’s too much of yourself. There’s not enough bakeries, and there’s too much of me.”
He said that he would take “anything else other than me.” “But I think it’s just the way that the algorithms are cursed,” he said.
Mescal plays Lucius in the action sequel “Gladiator II.” In the same interview, he opened up about the growing media attention he has been receiving.
Acting was never on his radar, and he had no desire in his childhood to be “out in the world,” said Mescal, who was nominated for Best Actor in the 2023 Academy Awards for his role in “Aftersun.”
“But also, you’re smart enough to realize that, like, that’s the gig. You get out in front of the movie, and you do your job,” said the Irish actor. “But there’s a certain tax that comes with it.”
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning on November 17, Mescal said his break-out role as Connell Waldron in “Normal People” changed his career trajectory.
“That was so abrupt,” he said. “I think it started the scale moving in the direction that just that was the new normal, which was totally abnormal.”
A representative for Mescal did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
Going on a digital detox
Mescal is not the only celebrity to have considered taking a break from social media.
In January, Selena Gomez posted an Instagram story with the caption, “I’m off social for a while. I’m focusing on what really matters.” Still, the pop star returned to the platform in less than 24 hours.
Instead of completely abstaining from social media, setting limits may be more helpful in managing phone addiction, Neha Chaudhary, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, previously told BI.
She recommends leaning on friends and family to stay accountable.
“Accountability plays a big role in trying to make any change,” she said. “Maybe decide with a friend that you want to both reduce use, or tell your family member your goals so that they can check in with you about it. Whatever it is, find a way to have someone help keep you on track — breaking habits alone can be difficult.”
Chaudhary recommends unfollowing accounts that can negatively impact your mental health to curate a more positive social media feed.
“I tell my patients that one of the biggest shifts they can make is to start to replace content that leaves them feeling worse with content that makes them feel better when they consume it,” she said.
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