Malayalam actress Aishwarya Lekshmi has announced her decision to quit social media, explaining that it had become more of a distraction than a tool.

She said she once believed that social media was necessary to stay relevant in the industry, but over time, it started dictating her thoughts and actions instead of supporting her work.

“For the longest time, I subscribed to the idea that social media is much needed to keep me in the game. I thought it necessary to move with the times, especially considering the nature of the industry we are in. Somehow, something that was told would cater to us has reverse-UNO-ed and made me cater to it. It has successfully distracted me from what my work & research should be. It has taken away every original thought from me, affected my vocabulary & language, and made every other simpler pleasure joyless,” she wrote in an Instagram story.

Aishwarya emphasised that she does not want to conform to the generic expectations imposed by social media, and as a woman, she had already invested significant effort in self-awareness and personal discipline.

“I refuse to be one that's made from a generic mould and cater to the whims & fancies of a supernet. As a woman, I have had to train myself a lot to even be aware of grooming and control, and trained even harder to resist it. This is the first original thought that I have had in a while,” she added.

Calling this decision her first original thought in a long time, she said she is willing to risk being forgotten online in order to protect the artist within her and preserve her individuality.

“I'm taking the risk here to be forgotten, and in today's times, out of the 'gram is out of the mind. So here is me doing the right thing for the artist & the lil girl in me -Keeping her an original & choosing absolute internet obsoleteness. Here's hoping I create more meaningful connections & Cinema in life. And if I do end up making meaningful cinema, give me love - Old Style :) Yours Happily, Aishwarya Lekshmi,” she added.