Last month, Star Wars star Daisy Ridley abruptly quit Instagram. The internet assumed that online bullying spurred her departure, because, well, the internet. However, Ridley recently addressed her decision at the Student Academy Awards, according to Perez Hilton.
Her reasons for leaving the platform? It wasn't about internet bullying. She just doesn't want to bother with the pressure of social media. She told Hilton, "I felt a pressure being on it. I was like 'I need to post. Oh my God, it's been this many days'. It's actually been kind of nice not to be on it."
Anyone who runs a social channel will agree that Instagram takes work. For some people, social media is their work, so why blame Ridley for her Insta-exit — she's a very busy lady, what with that tiny franchise called Star Wars and all.
I will, however, take a moment to mourn the Brit's cheery Instagram presence. Whether was was baking a BB-8 cake, or crying at the reveal of the first Force Awakens trailer, Daisy Ridley was routinely adorable and inspiring.
She's not the first star to delete her Instagram: In August, Justin Bieber deactivated his account after his fans trolled Sophia Richie, the singer's new squeeze. Kylie Jenner, one of Instagram's major players, threatened to retire her account in February. Instagram, as with all of social media, is a method of communication. Ideally, it's an online conversation that serves as a conduit for understanding and appreciation.
But when does the conversation become violent? The "pressure" to which Ridley alludes is effectively the hollering of hundreds of fans asking for more. It is also a commonly-cited consequence of the advent of social media. Daisy Ridley's departure is just a symptom of a much larger issue: social media pressure.
Evidence of Ridley's presence can be still found on the internet, however. If you search hard enough...