Model, reality tv star, online celebrity with a social media following over 68million , Kendall Jenner, pulled out of Instargram on Sunday night and has left fans guessing why. Kendall rise in her career can’t be set aside from her huge followed social media accounts on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Fans hang on her updates, and the pictures and videos she posts often become news items, thanks to the 24/7 media cycle and a seemingly insatiable interest in her every move.
Corporate giants such as Estée Lauder and Calvin Klein count on her to bring a millennial audience. Within minutes, of her departure from Instargram, articles popped up speculating that she’d been hacked or how the deletion relates to Kim Kardashian West’s post-robbery social media standing, and whether or not the move was permanent.
However she won’t be the first celebrity taking the social media break, as recently Rihanna famously ditched Instagram after it censored images she posted of her revealing cover story for Lui, and when his Beliebers couldn’t handle his relationship with then-girlfriend Sofia Richie, Justin Bieber left the platform in a fit of pique. Zayn Malik departed Twitter after trolls targeted him and his family, and Emma Stone exited the same platform in an effort to maintain a personal life. For Jenner, who has been available to the public in her role as a reality TV star since her early adolescence, it might be the right time for a breather.
A self-imposed break from social media doesn’t have to be negative. It can be refreshing, a chance to reconnect with things that aren’t based on likes and engagement numbers—and even, cynics may point out, a chance to boost some interest in a flagging account. For models—many of whom are directed to come to castings with follower data in addition to their portfolios—this could signal a back-to-basics moment or at least a hopeful sign that numbers aren’t everything. While it’s unlikely that Jenner will every fully abandon the medium that has propelled her stardom—her Snapchat and Twitter are still up and running—it’s heartening to see her navigating social on her own terms. Whether her break lasts 24 hours or continues indefinitely, it proves that even the most followed people on earth crave a time when they can unplug.
Source: Vogue