A Conversation with Demi Lovato | Global Conference 2023

Demi Lovato's relationship with social media

• She began using platforms like AOL Instant Messenger, Zynga, MySpace, and Twitter starting at age 10 or 11, noting that growing up in the public eye while these technologies emerged made it difficult to distinguish reality from curated online content.
• She stopped reading comments on her posts after realizing that positive feedback fed her ego while negative feedback damaged her self-worth, choosing instead to only view comments from friends before stopping if a stranger's name appeared.
• She emphasizes that the current digital landscape is more damaging than her upbringing because apps like Instagram and Facetune allow for immediate, perfect-body illusions, creating a "terrifying" environment for young people trying to grasp their body image.
• To combat algorithmic negativity, she advises users to avoid clicking on images that trigger unhealthy comparisons, thereby preventing those images from feeding into their explore page algorithms.
• Lovato now curates her social media output to reflect authenticity rather than perfection, posting content about her boyfriend, dogs, and concerts to maintain a healthy headspace.

Boundaries regarding advocacy and recovery

• She established a firm boundary refusing to be the "poster child for recovery," shifting her identity from someone defined by her struggles to someone who navigates life with them as a part of her journey.
• Lovato decided against keeping her 2018 near-death overdose and subsequent strokes/heart attack secret, opting for transparency to counter false media narratives and to provide a realistic view of celebrity life to fans.
• She admitted to previously setting the goal of being "California sober" but publicly took that back, acknowledging that her specific choices do not work for everyone and that recovery journeys are non-linear.
• She stated that music is a vital outlet for processing difficult emotions, citing her album tracks like "Happy Ending" as products written during deep depression that helped her navigate those periods.

Mental health trends and personal impact statistics

• Lovato cited a 104% spike in eating disorders globally between 2018 and 2022, linking this rise to the ubiquity of edited images and the inability of young people to discern reality on social media.
• She revealed she has dealt with a "checklist" of mental health challenges including depression, addiction, self-harm, and currently anxiety, which she manages through specific coping mechanisms.
• Her primary methods for managing current anxiety include exercise (specifically sweating without a performance goal), meditation, and maintaining regular contact with her treatment team.
• She confirmed she has met fans who credited her story with saving their lives, describing these one-on-one connections with organizations like Active Minds and the National Alliance on Eating Disorders as more rewarding than any career accolades.

Forward-looking statements and current status

• Lovato considers her advocacy work arguably more important than her music career, stating that legacy and saving lives hold more value than song releases or awards.
• She announced plans to release a "happy rock album," noting the creative challenge of writing upbeat music while continuing to do the daily work required to stay mentally healthy.
• She warned that even in a "really good place," humans still experience bad days, revealing she had a bad anxiety day on Sunday and had to rely on her boyfriend and treatment team to cope.
• She is preparing for Mental Health Action Day on May 18th and used Mental Health Awareness Month to post resources for struggling fans, emphasizing that impermanence is the only permanent aspect of life.
• Her core message to 13-year-olds and fans is that asking for help is always okay, and conversations with friends, parents, or professionals can help dismantle the illusion that social media represents reality.