Madonna, the 67-year-old pop icon with over 20 million Instagram followers, has described the photo-sharing platform as simultaneously “mesmerising and soul-destroying” — a candid admission that cuts against the grain of celebrity social media culture. In a wide-ranging conversation with Interview magazine, the singer offered a rare and unfiltered critique of how passive scrolling erodes mental clarity and self-worth.

What Madonna Said About Instagram

Speaking to Interview magazine, Madonna did not hold back. “We think if we look at Instagram for two hours, we’ve actually been with somebody. It’s a deeply disturbing activity. It’s mesmerising and also soul-destroying,” she said.

On the specific question of doomscrolling, she acknowledged occasional lapses: “Occasionally I open Instagram and something pops up that makes me go to the next visual. And then I go, ‘What am I doing? I have 5,000 things to do. Get off the phone’.”

Her Self-Imposed Discipline

Madonna credits growing up in an era before social media — and even before widespread television — as the foundation of her restrained relationship with digital platforms. “I have a lot of discipline when it comes to social media, simply because I grew up without it. I didn’t have Instagram until 2018 or something. I grew up without TV. I’m not a person who gravitates toward distraction,” she explained.

She described a structured daily routine built around lists and Post-it notes, and said she actively resists the pull of aimless browsing. “If I go on Instagram for more than 10 minutes, I get depressed, and I don’t want to go there,” she said, adding: “Why am I giving this nonexistent entity power over my soul, my brain, my vision of myself, my vision of the world?”

Time, Writing, and Journals

The singer revealed that her preferred alternative to screen time is writing — and she reportedly goes through several journals in a single week. “Time is precious, and that’s something I’ve known all my life. Time’s precious. What can I get done? What can I do?” she said.

Notably, this candid self-reflection comes from one of the most followed celebrities on the very platform she critiques — a contradiction Madonna herself appears aware of, given her deliberate cap on usage.

The Broader Conversation on Social Media and Mental Health

Madonna’s remarks land amid a growing global conversation about social media’s impact on mental wellbeing. Researchers, regulators, and public health bodies have increasingly flagged compulsive scrolling as a contributor to anxiety and low self-esteem, particularly among younger users. That a figure of Madonna’s cultural stature — and follower count — is voicing similar concerns adds a layer of mainstream weight to the debate.

Her comments are likely to resonate with audiences who find themselves caught in the same cycle she describes: aware of the trap, yet repeatedly falling into it.