‘Enola Holmes’ Star Millie Bobby Brown Discusses Leaving Social Media for Mental Health

Millie Bobby Brown recently opened up about her experiences growing up in the spotlight and how it has influenced her connections with others. This candid conversation took place during an episode of the podcast “Happy Sad Confused,” hosted by Josh Horowitz, and was reported by journalist Stephanie Soteriou.

Achieving fame at a young age, Millie became well-known for her role as Eleven in the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’. She was only 11 when the show premiered, spending much of her childhood and teenage years on set, which made her early life quite different from that of her peers.

During the podcast, she discussed how her upbringing on film sets impacted her social interactions. Millie noted that she did not attend a traditional public school and instead spent most of her time around adults while working, which altered her approach to communication with people her age.

She mentioned, “Well, I didn’t go to public school, so maybe a bit of socialization.”

Millie explained that her daily conversations during childhood were primarily with crew members, who were often much older than her. This experience led her to feel more at ease discussing work-related topics rather than engaging in casual conversations typical for kids.

She shared, “Because I grew up with primarily men on crews — men over 40 years old. So I heard a lot of adult talk growing up, and didn’t really talk about the things you’re meant to talk about as a kid.”

Millie described feeling awkward in situations where she meets fans or peers her age. She expressed that she sometimes struggles with how to respond in social settings, not due to a lack of interest, but because she simply didn’t have the opportunity to practice those interactions.

She said, “Sometimes, when fans come up to me, I’ll be like: ‘Argh!’ And it’s not because I’ve… It’s just I don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age. I have a harder time.”

Despite these challenges, Millie conveyed her happiness with her life at 22, enjoying her current routine. She credited her partner, Jake Bongiovi, for helping her become more open and social.

She added, “When I met my husband, he’s the most social butterfly… When I met him, I really tried to lean in more to that. So I’m in my social era!”

The discussion also covered her relationship with social media. Millie revealed that she stepped away from it in 2021 and has no intention of managing it herself again, a decision made for her mental health.

She stated, “I deleted social media in 2021 and I never looked back. There was no need for it anymore. So I hired someone, for my mental health, to take care of it for me.”

While she still wishes to connect with her fans, she emphasized the importance of avoiding constant exposure to online opinions or negativity. For her, maintaining balance and protecting her peace is essential while remaining present in her own unique way.

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