WEDNESDAY Star Jenna Ortega: Social Media Is ‘Very Manipulative’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Netflix star of the hit show WEDNESDAY, Jenna Ortega opened up about the darkness of social media.
Ortega sat down for an interview with Variety’s Actors on Actors and explained her relationship with social media which can get “ugly” at times.
“Even after shooting ‘Wednesday,’ when I was auditioning for certain roles, they would come to my team: ‘We like her, but we just don’t know if she has enough of a platform or enough of a name,’” Ortega stated. “And social media, what it does to anyone our age, it’s such a comparing game. It almost influences bandwagon mentality. … It’s very manipulative.”
Ortega doesn’t feel she can truly be herself on social media. The actor got emotional when she discussed being misunderstood online.
“Because I naturally tend to be sarcastic or dry, it’s very easy for me to find myself in trouble,” Ortega explained. “I want people to be able to get to know the people behind the camera and realize that people should never be put on a pedestal.”
The more I’ve been exposed to the world, people prey on that and take advantage of that,” Ortega said. “They see your vulnerability and twist it in a way that you don’t always expect.”
Ortega added, “It’s such a hard thing to balance because how do you be honest without jeopardizing your own health and safety? It’s very easy to feel almost out of control.”
Despite her emotions towards social media, Ortega still felt a desire to share her genuine self with the world.
“I still have this really, really intense urge to be human and honest and authentic,” Ortega expressed. “Another thing about this industry is you get in front of a camera and people want you to be something else, where it’s ‘Have more energy’ or ‘Could you smile a bit more?’ and it just feels so gross. And I don’t want to feel gross. I would rather people see me cry and do whatever than be something that I’m not.”
Movieguide® previously reported on the effects of social media:
A recent NBC News survey revealed that most participants believe social media in America is more divisive than it is unifying.
NBC News surveyed 1,000 American adults with different political views and diverse backgrounds. The majority of young adults and seniors said that social media is divisive—61% and 71%, respectively.
Politically, 77% of Republicans, 54% of Democrats, and 65% of independents said that social media sites like Twitter and Facebook promote disunity. Ethnically, 70% of white individuals and 65% of Latinos agreed.
Around 40% of black participants said that the media helped unify America. Only 42% said that it hurts unifying as a country.
For frequent social media users, at least once per day, just below 50% said that it bettered their life and 37% said it harmed their lives.
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