“Social media can be so addictive. But it’s my life outside the filter that I’ve been trying to focus on.”
Chances are, you love following Peyton List on all of her social media accounts. What better way to keep up with the Disney Channel actress’ latest events and projects than viewing her glamorous pics on Instagram, or seeing her behind-the-scenes videos on Snapchat? Well, in a moving new essay she wrote for InStyle, Peyton actually revealed that she has a complicated love/hate relationship with her social channels.
“Let’s not get it twisted: I love social media. I love how it lets me connect with my fans, meet new friends—legit, I’ve made friends on social that I hang with in real life—and see the world from other people’s perspectives,” Peyton wrote. “But there’s a pressure with social that can sometimes feel a little too extra.”
“I’ll post when there’s something cool or I see something that that’s worth sharing, a little something that’s beautiful while I’m living life,” she explained. “But between Snapchat stories and being rewarded for sending pictures and keeping a streak going, there’s a weird pressure that builds up to participate. It makes it more addicting, so it’s really hard not to share. And it’s a pretty fine line between sharing and oversharing.”
Peyton explained that she’s cautious about what she posts on her social media accounts for everyone to see, especially because the public already knows so much about her.
“People know a lot about my life—I’ve been on TV since I was three years old. And there’s not a lot to complain about. I’m fully aware of how lucky I am to do the work I do. I work really, really hard, and there are a lot of privileges and perks that come with the job,” she shared. “There are things I’m very comfortable sharing with my community, like work and shows and set life. That’s the fun stuff, but it’s also not my whole life. It’s my work life. I keep the other stuff for myself. I have to. I try and find a balance of sharing enough of myself to keep in touch with my fans, but always keeping the personal stuff— relationships, family stuff, private pictures— for myself.”
Peyton also admitted that sometimes she has found it difficult not to respond to issues or commenters, but that she has resisted in favor of finding more meaningful connections.
“Look, there have been plenty of times I’ve wanted to just record a confessional or a vlog of me responding to something, but I’ve always stopped myself. That’s when I call a friend or talk to my brother or mom. I’m trying to just work things out with someone in person, rather than over social media,” she said. “It feels kind of weird to say, but I’ve been so much more into calling up a friend on the phone instead of texting. There’s just so much that’s missed when you don’t hear someone’s voice or the way they are saying something. A crying face emoji is not the same as hearing the crack in someone’s voice before they cry.”
We especially love the way that Peyton summed up her complicated thoughts on apps like Instagram and Twitter: “Social media is great, but real social interaction—meaningful conversations, sleepovers, and laugh sessions with the people I love—is better. More face time than FaceTime, you know?”
Perfectly said!
