Why Daniel Padilla isn’t active on social media

It seems that almost everyone is on social media nowadays. Admit it, we are waking up to personal messages, photos or, if we use Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as a way to get our news or be informed about “the latest” and what’s happening to and in the world.

In fact, if you like to know what your favorite celebrity is doing, just click on whatever social media accounts you have and, voila, everything is there.

Daniel Padilla agrees that social media is an amazing way to stay connected and to learn more things about what’s going on outside your little bubble. He has an official Instagram account (@supremo_dp) with over four million followers aside from the official fan accounts under his name.

There’s also truth to what DJ (as Daniel is fondly called) was pointing out when he recently sat for The Purple Chair interview. He said that social media gives too much information that can either lead to social isolation or depression.

“For me, because it’s too much information for us. There are things that we see and read that, in real life, we do not need to know anymore.”

He admitted to not being so active on social media yet he would post on his Instagram once in a while. “I post on Instagram just to update them (fans). Minsan napapatagal, pero I post syempre. Nakakahiya rin naman sa kanila dahil cannot be found na naman ako.”

What he cannot do is spend an enormous amount of time scrolling through other people’s online profiles or putting out a lot of information about his activities for everyone to know. “’Yung ginagawa ng iba? I can’t do it.”

The 26-year-old actor saw his reel and real-life girlfriend Kathryn Bernardo as the best example of a responsible social media user “kung paano siya mag-trabaho, the ethics, natural na natural.

“Sa akin, it’s not natural. I cannot do it; I find it tough. But I do other things. ‘Yung mga streaming, hindi ko talaga kaya.”

He, too, doesn’t understand about getting people’s approval based on the number of likes. “I don’t want to be a negative person but I hope for us to be more responsible. Like with ‘likes,’ sinabi ‘yan ni Kobe Paras, ang galing ni Kobe Paras, sinabi n’ya na sana sa Instagram or anumang social media platforms, sana alisin na yung bilang ng likes.”

The number of followers equally affects us emotionally. DJ said that if the numbers are not visible, the overall scenario will change. “Kapag inalis mo kasi ‘yun, mag-babago rin ang tema ng lahat. The problem is in the industry, kailangan nila ng numero na ‘yun. It’s really hard to balance.”

If not for this pandemic, DJ is more than happy to be seen on the small and big screens for KathNiel fans to be updated. Unfortunately, his and Kathryn’s movie project, After Forever, supposed to be under director Cathy Garcia-Molina and announced in February of last year, was already cancelled due to the outbreak of the global health crisis.

“The last movie that we were supposed to do (last year), didn’t push through. Biglang nagka-pandemic, bawal na bumiyahe. The story was based para talaga sa America. Kung hindi gagawin doon, hindi pwede.”

Their fans have no reason to be disheartened though, with Daniel confirming about the series he will be starring in with Kathryn and a new movie under Star Cinema.

He also talked about the movie titled Kun Maupay Man It Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine) that he topbills with Charo Santos-Concio. It is the Philippines’ entry to the 74th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland ongoing until Aug. 14.

In the film directed by Carlo Francisco Manatad, Charo and Daniel play mother and son, respectively, who struggle after Typhoon Yolanda hit Tacloban City, Leyte in November, 2013. The dialogues were written in pure Waray which the actor can speak well. His mom, Karla Estrada, was born and raised in Tacloban City.

“Si Ma’am Charo napakahusay. Ang haba ng Waray lines n’ya. It’s not easy at iba yung atake ng film na ito,” shared DJ.

(To watch the full interview, visit The Boy Abunda Talk Channel or Batalk Channel on YouTube.)