Michael Cera Reveals Why He Doesn't Have a Smartphone: 'I Feel a Bit of Fear About It'
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Michael Cera is opening up about his lack of social media presence.
Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter in an interview that published Friday, the Superbad actor, 34, explained that he's never felt compelled to be online that way, saying the decision "doesn't feel conscious."
"I guess it's just something that I didn't elect to do," he said. "Because everybody does it, it starts to feel like a big choice. But it's just not interesting to me."
However, Cera did make a "conscious choice" not to have a smartphone. "I feel a bit of fear about it honestly like I'd really lose control of my waking life," the star noted.
As an example, Cera pointed out a specific incident when he hung out with his friend who had gotten a smartphone. "I had lunch with a friend of mine who was my best friend at the time, and he'd just gotten a Blackberry, and for the whole meal he was typing emails, and I was sat there lonely and bored," he recalled. "So I had an early aversion to them."
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Cera went on to note to THR that "a lot of people" tell him they're envious of Cera's choice. "For many years, people resented me for this lifestyle choice," he shared. "But now people say that they envy it."
The Arrested Development star said that "it's very possible" that not having social media has impacted his career: "I mean, I'm definitely not holding any sway in that category. So if that's an important thing I think I wouldn't be considered."
Walter McBride/WireImage Michael Cera
Elsewhere in the interview, Cera — who has mainly kept his family life with 1½-year-old son and relationship with his partner Nadine out of the public eye — told the Hollywood Reporter that he shies away from the limelight.
"I think when you get really famous, you're just like a magnet to people," he said. "And all kinds of people come up to you, and I just can't handle it. I'm not really cut out for that level of interaction with so many different types. I don't have a strong enough personality for that."
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Despite his attempts at privacy, some things have gotten out over the years. His Life & Beth costar Amy Schumer, 41, accidentally revealed during a joint Entertainment Tonight interview that he welcomed a child last March, leading him to eventually disclose more details about the baby's sex and age to Extra.
"We're right at the beginning of it," Cera told ET. "We're doing the very basics right now."
