Dua Lipa feels social media makes people feel "inadequate".
The 24-year-old pop star has opened up about the negative aspect of apps such as Instagram and Twitter and how important it is that people know that they don’t have to "overachieve" during the coronavirus pandemic.
Opening up on the "unnecessary pressure" placed on people to be "super-productive" at the moment, Dua told Adwoa Aboah on ‘The Gurls Talk Podcast’: "There’s a lot of maybe pressure and stuff we are feeling, especially from social media and online, being like once you come out of here, you have to have a new skill or be super-productive or whatever.
"But I think collectively we are going through quite a traumatic period.
"I think just staying inside and doing your part is enough and I think maybe more people need to hear that.
"I’ve spoken to friends who are like, ‘Oh, I haven’t been so productive and I don’t really have anything to go on and live-stream about … ‘
"I think there is so much pressure for stuff like that and it doesn’t need to be.
"I think finding small things that make you happy and make it easier to get over this period, whatever makes it easier for you.
"Even before the isolation, period, I think social media has made people feel like they are inadequate or they are not doing enough, or comparing themselves to other people.
"I guess now, it’s not happening more, but it’s more prominent.
"People are feeling like they have to overachieve during a period like this, which I think is unnecessary."
The ‘Break My Heart’ hitmaker – who has previously opened up on limiting her social media use – admitted she wouldn’t have been able to make her second album, ‘Future Nostalgia’, without having taking a break from online platforms.
And Dua – who is dating model Anwar Hadid – used to get really "upset" when people turned on her once she started to have success.
She shared: "In all honesty, I don’t think I could have done my second record if I hadn’t taken a step back from social media.
"When you first start, when I first started putting new music out, everything was super positive and I had lots of nice messages.
"I think the more stuff you do, then there is criticism and comments and it all comes in thick and fast, and for a while it was really getting to me.
"I just felt like people had nothing but mean things to say or I was being picked on.
"It did upset me, it made me feel I didn’t deserve to do certain things."
For the full interview with Dua on Adwoa Aboah’s ‘The Gurls Talk Podcast’ head to: open.spotify.com/episode/2agS56RO0SbR8i50ZHwXdI?si=FqAXc_5TTCyuZyhIVxyi7g
Dua Lipa: Social media makes people feel inadequate
