Camila Cabello Stays Sane By Abstaining From Social Media

A few months ago, you may not have known Camila Cabello's name. Today, it is nigh compulsory that you do. The 18-year-old musician made headlines in December when she broke from the girl group Fifth Harmony. Up until the breakup, Fifth Harmony was approaching pop culture juggernaut status. They appear to be doing quite fine today without Cabello, but the question was never about Fifth Harmony. This is about Cabello, who broke from the safety of a well-known group to foster a solo career. It was a bold move for the young star, but she seems to be doing just fine. In her first interview post-breakup, Cabello said that not engaging social media has been a key part of her strategy. "The best decision that I’ve taken in my career thus far has been this year I’ve just stayed away from social media," she told Lena Dunham on the Women of the Hour podcast. "I don’t go on it, and I just keep myself focused on getting better and growing as an artist and finding different ways to grow as a person. It’s just kept me grounded, and I don’t have 1,000 people thinking that they didn’t like my shoes." Cabello is one among a growing number of celebrities who choose to abstain from social media. Daisy Ridley and Justin Bieber declared themselves social media-teetotalers last year, for various reasons, and young star Millie Bobby Brown isn't allowed to read comments on her Instagram. At this point, it seems the jury may never reach a verdict on social media. Is it good? Is it bad? No one is sure. But increasingly, celebrities cite it as one of society's ills. Another reason Cabello is someone to watch out for — aside from her immense talent — is that the newly minted non-minor is politically involved. Last November was the first time the self-described Latina voted, and, as you might imagine, the turbulent election cycle spurred the young star's interest in the political conversation. "Just seeing all of the debates and me and my family around talking... Now and forevermore, I’m going to stick up for immigrants and I’m going to stick up for Hispanic people and their rights. I feel like that’s just my job," she told Dunham. Listen to the full interview, here.