Most celebrities today are internet users, logging into social media to reap the benefits of their fame and rack up likes, comments, and shares. It’s essentially a free PR machine for a lot of people, so it makes sense. But a small subset of celebrities prefer to live their lives offline, avoiding the internet and social media.
They all have their own reasons, and some seem more valid than others. But they are all bound by a common dislike of the internet and the changes it has brought to our culture.
As the internet becomes more and more a daily part of most people’s lives, these celebrities’ commitment to staying off the web becomes increasingly impressive. Check out this list of famous people who are staying unplugged.
1
Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence has said that she will never get a Twitter account or anything similar, because even emails baffle her. She says she’s not very good with phones or technology in general, so she prefers to stay off of it.
2
Emma Stone
The actress eschews social media, saying that it can make people’s lives seem better than they really are, creating false ideas of success. She refuses to open a Twitter or Instagram account, saying that social media makes her feel crazy.
3
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe stays off social media. He apparently only had a Google+ account back in the day, but that social network is long gone by now, so now he most likely has nothing. He considers himself very anti-internet.
4
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock avoids the internet and specifically social media, calling it a “false projection of one's life.” She says that selfies create an unreasonable set of expectations, in that it seems real and candid when it’s actually inauthentic and planned.
5
Robert Pattinson
Maybe best known for Twilight, Robert Pattinson has experienced somewhat of a renaissance lately. Even so, he barely uses the internet and avoids social networks. When asked in a Reddit AMA if he ever considered joining social media, he replied “only in dark moments”.
6
Kristen Stewart
The other Twilight star, Kristen Stewart is not entirely opposed to the idea of the internet or social media. She says, “I just don’t need it.” She doesn’t mind the idea of communicating with people though, so she’s not as anti-internet as some other celebs on this list.
7
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken takes being a luddite a step further. He not only doesn’t use the internet, but doesn’t even have a phone. Supposedly, whenever he shoots a movie, the producers give him a cell phone to make sure they can contact him during the shoot. When production wraps, he gives the phone back.
8
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder isn’t just not a fan of the internet, she’s afraid of it. In 2011, she told Jimmy Fallon that she was worried she would accidentally press a button and sign up for a terrorist group. Not sure how she expected that to happen, but it bothered her enough to make her steer clear.
9
Jake Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal has expressed his frustration with phones and the internet, preferring to live a more private lifestyle rather than connect with fans over the internet. In an interview with USA Today, he said “We're looking down. No one is looking up.”
10
Kate Moss
Kate Moss does not use the internet or social media, saying that she prefers to spend her free time leading a normal life and meeting up with family and friends. She doesn’t have any social media accounts, and enjoys living outside of cyberspace.
11
George Clooney
Clooney thinks that in addition to being unnecessary for a celebrity to share their thoughts online, it can also be damaging to an actor’s career if they say the wrong thing. This is definitely something that has been known to happen in recent years, so maybe George Clooney’s rejection of the internet is a smart choice.
12
Louis CK
Louis CK told Jimmy Fallon in 2016 that he had sworn off the internet and intended to keep things that way. He’s always been a critic of technology, including cell phones.
13
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan finds social media to be very stressful, and avoids it because it requires a lot of work. She doesn’t think that what’s going on in her day to day life is anyone else’s business. Apparently she used to have a Twitter account back in 2009, but only used it to follow comedian Stephen Fry.
14
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt chooses to stay off the internet for a unique reason. She says her job as an actress is to convince viewers that she’s somebody she’s not, and if she revealed too much about her personal life online, it could make that harder. She doesn’t feel that social media suits her personality.
15
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson has said that there is nothing she wants to do less than continually update people on the state of her personal life. She apparently occasionally pops onto the internet to look at memes or Avengers-related content, but other than that she avoids it.
16
DMX
The late great DMX not only didn’t use the internet, he didn’t even really understand how to use a computer. He had the concept of Google explained to him live on air on a radio show… in 2012.
17
Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley has said on multiple occasions that she barely ever goes on the internet, doesn’t own a phone, and generally is not a fan of technology. When she needs directions, she asks somebody on the street. I guess starring in the dystopian Divergent series scared her off computers for good.
18
Eminem
Eminem has always been very critical of the internet, and uses it very sparingly, if at all. Despite his over-the-top celebrity persona, he wants his private life to remain private, and believes that the internet harms society as a whole.
19
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie once admitted that she didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. That is a very important prerequisite step for getting on the internet, so it’s safe to assume she doesn’t spend too much time online.
