Timothée Chalamet has discussed his belief that living in a peak digital age is contributing to “societal collapse”.
The 26-year-old American actor spoke of the pitfalls of social media and its effect on today’s youth during a press conference at the Venice Film Festival, where he has been promoting his upcoming film Bones & All.
“To be young now, and to be young whenever – I can only speak for my generation – is to be intensely judged,” the talented actor explained. “I can’t imagine what it is to grow up with the onslaught of social media, and it was a relief to play characters who are wrestling with an internal dilemma absent the ability to go on Reddit, or Twitter, Instagram or TikTok and figure out where they fit in.”
Timothée Chalamet went on to explain that despite his views, he was “not casting judgment” as you can “find your tribe” online.
However, he was sure to acknowledge: “I think it’s hard to be alive now. I think societal collapse is in the air. That’s why hopefully, this movie will matter.”
In the movie Bones & All, Timothée plays Lee, one-half of a young cannibal couple in America during the 1980s. His character’s girlfriend, Maren, is played by Canadian actress Taylor Russell. The movie is based on Camille DeAngelis’ novel of the same name, which was published in 2015.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim and an eight-minute standing ovation for its cast, including director Luca Guadagnino, who previously collaborated with Timothée on Call Me By Your Name in 2017.
Meanwhile, Timothée isn’t the only one who views social media as a hindrance. Spider-Man: No Way Home star Tom Holland recently explained he was taking a break from social media for his mental health.
“I’m taking a break from social media for my mental health because I find Instagram and Twitter to be overstimulating, to be overwhelming,” he told his followers. “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.”
Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Lorde, and Brie Larson are other celebrities who have preached the importance of mental health and taken a digital break.
Timothée’s Bones & All has a scheduled release date of November 23 in the US. The release date for the UK has yet to be confirmed.