Vittorio Zunino Celotto/GettyKatya Mtsitouridze attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Joel C Ryan / Joel C Ryan/Invision/APActress Amber Heard poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'The Staggering Girl' at the 72nd international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 17, 2019.
Alberto Pizzolli/Getty-AFPFrench actress and member of the Un Certain Regard Jury Marina Fois attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
John Phillips/GettyAdam Driver attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Antonini Thuiller/Getty-AFPEmployees vaccum the red carpet after guests and film cast members and crews attended a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesBritish singer-songwriter Elton John arrives for the screening of the film "Rocketman" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPAmerican film director, screenwriter and actor Jim Jarmusch attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPFrench Culture Minister Franck Riester attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
John Phillips / Getty ImagesPresident of the Main competition jury Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and María Eladia Hagerman attend the screening of "Pain And Glory (Dolor Y Gloria/Douleur Et Gloire)" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesIndian actress and model Priyanka Chopra arrives for the screening of the film "Rocketman" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
Valery Hache / AFP/Getty ImagesSenegalese actor Amadou Mbow, Senegalese actress Mama Sane, Senegalese actress Mariama Gassama, Senegalese actress Nicole Sougou and Senegalese actress Amina Kane pose during a photocall for the film "Atlantics (Atlantique)" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2019.
Alberto Pizzolli/Getty-AFPBrazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty ImagesBella Hadid attends the screening of "Pain And Glory (Dolor Y Gloria/Douleur Et Gloire)" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesBritish actress Emily Beecham leaves after attending the screening of the film "Little Joe" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPAmerican actor Bill Murray salutes a municipal police officer as he arrives for a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Joel C Ryan / Joel C Ryan/Invision/APDirector Dexter Fletcher, from left, producer Adam Bohling, actor Taron Egerton, singer Elton John, producer David Furnish, actor Kit Connor and actress Bryce Dallas Howard pose for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Rocketman' at the 72nd international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Thursday, May 16, 2019.
LOIC VENANCE / AFP/Getty ImagesBelgian singer/songwriter Angele Van Laeken, better known as Angele, attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesUS burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese waves as she arrives for the screening of the film "Rocketman" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
Pascal Le Segretain/GettyRyme Wehbi, from left, Guillaume de Tonquédec, guest, Yoann Guillouzouic and Magali Potier attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPFrench actress Macha Meril, right, attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
VALERY HACHE / AFP/Getty ImagesBritish actress and model Tilda Swinton attends a photocall for the film "The Dead Don't Die" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 15, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPBritish-Thai actress Araya Hargate attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Arthur Mola / Arthur Mola/Invision/APActresses Amira Hilda Douaouda, from left, Shirine Boutella, director Mounia Meddour, actresses Lyna Khoudri, and Zahra Doumandji pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'Papicha' at the 72nd international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 17, 2019.
LOIC VENANCE / AFP/Getty ImagesFrench art director Rosalie Varda and French actor Mathieu Demy attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty ImagesShailene Woodley attends the screening of "Rocket Man" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Alberto Pizzoli/Getty-AFPFrench actress Frederique Bel attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Alberto Pizzoli / AFP/Getty ImagesBritish actress Debbie Honeywood, British film director and screenwriter Ken Loach, British actress Katie Proctor and British screenwriter Paul Laverty arrive for the screening of the film "Sorry We Missed You" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
Valery Hache / AFP/Getty ImagesSpanish actor Antonio Banderas (R) and his partner Nicole Kimpel pose as they arrive for the screening of the film "Dolor Y Gloria (Pain and Glory)" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 17, 2019.
Matt Winkelmeyer/GettyJury member Elle Fanning, wearing Chopard jewels, attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPFrench comedian Alex Lutz and French actress Audrey Lamy attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
John Phillips / Getty ImagesMaria Borges attends the screening of "Rocket Man" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPSpanish actor Javier Bardem and French actress and singer Charlotte Gainsbourg arrive for a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty ImagesPenelope Cruz, wearing Atelier Swarovski Fine Jewelry, attends the screening of "Pain And Glory (Dolor Y Gloria/Douleur Et Gloire)" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/GettyKenza Fortas attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Gareth Cattermole/GettyBarbara Meier attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Antonin Thuiller/Getty-AFPAmerican actress Julianne Moore, right, and the Co-President of Chopard Caroline Scheufele attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Alberto Pizzolli/Getty-AFPPhotographers catch guests arriving for a screening of the film "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPAmerican actress and member of the Cannes Film Festival jury Elle Fanning and Mexican director and president of the Cannes jury Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesEva Longoria waves as she arrives for the screening of the film "Rocketman" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
Antonin Thuiller/Getty-AFPAdam Abaida Atarshi, from left, American model Jeremy Meeks and Andreea Sasu attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPIranian actress and musician Golshifteh Farahani attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Joel C Ryan / Joel C Ryan/Invision/APDirector Pedro Almodovar, from left, actors Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas pose for photographers at the premiere of the film 'Pain and Glory' at the 72nd international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 17, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPAmerican film director, screenwriter and actor Jim Jarmusch, from left; his partner, American actress and film director Sara Driver; British actress and model Tilda Swinton; American actor Luka Sabbat; and American actor Adam Driver attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Gareth Cattermole/GettyChloe Sevigny attends a photo call for "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2019, in Cannes, France.
Petros Giannakouris/APSinger Jessica Jung attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPDutch model Romee Strijd attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance / AFP/Getty ImagesBritish singer-songwriter Elton John (L) and his husband Canadian producer David Furnish arrive for the screening of the film "Rocketman" at the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 16, 2019.
John Phillips / Getty ImagesRichard Madden and Taron Egerton attend the screening of "Rocket Man" during the 72nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2019 in Cannes, France.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPFrench actors Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier attend a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Petros Giannakouris / APActresses Gayle Rankin, left, and Judith Godreche pose for photographers at the photo call for the film 'The Climb' at the 72nd international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Friday, May 17, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPFrench model Estelle Lefebure attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
Loic Venance/Getty-AFPAmerican singer and actress Selena Gomez attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
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Katya Mtsitouridze attends a screening of "The Dead Don't Die" during the 72nd edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 14, 2019.
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By Nardine Saad
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
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Selena Gomez, once the most-followed person on Instagram and still in the top three, believes that social media has been terrible for her generation.
The 26-year-old spoke candidly about the modern threat on Wednesday during a news conference at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, where she was promoting Jim Jarmusch’s zombie horror-comedy “The Dead Don’t Die.” The film also stars Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny, Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton.
Gomez, seated between Swinton and Murray, took the reins when the conversation turned to the contemporary dangers that most worry the cast and crew.
“I think that our world is going through a lot, obviously. I would say for my generation, specifically — what Jim gestured to in the film — is that social media has really been terrible for my generation,” the actress-singer said.
“I understand that it’s amazing to use your platform. But it does scare me when you see how exposed these young girls and these young boys are. They’re not really aware of the news or anything going on,” she added. “I think it’s dangerous for sure. I don’t think people are getting the right information sometimes.”
The “Back to You” singer said she thought it was impossible to make social media safe at this point: “There’s no blocking anything. They’re exposed to it immediately.”
And though she’s grateful to have the platform and has amassed 150 million followers on Instagram (she previously had the most-liked photo on the app too), Gomez says she’s been much more cognizant of what she posts and why. She avoids sharing “pointless pictures” and aims to “be more intentional with it.”
“It just scares me, that’s all. I see these young girls at meet and greets. They’re devastated, dealing with bullying and not being able to have their own voice,” she explained.
“I mean, it can be great in moments, but I would just be careful and allow yourself some time limits of when you should use it.”
Follow me: @NardineSaad
