Shay Mitchell on Social Media and Her New Lifetime Movie "YOU"
Shay Mitchell is no stranger to social media. After all, the Pretty Little Liars star could honestly teach a master class on how to achieve a stellar Instagram aesthetic. But everything isn't always rosy in the online world, and now, Shay is sharing some important lessons that she's learned when it comes to posting pics on social.
Shay spoke with Entertainment Weekly about her upcoming Lifetime movie, YOU, where she plays a character named Peach. The story follows her best friend Beck, played by Elizabeth Quail, who gets stalked by a guy named Joe, played by none other than Penn Badgley. In conversation with EW, Shay discussed how stepping into Peach's shoes helped her reflect on her own social media usage IRL.
“I question things that I’ve done, that my friends have done, stories I’ve heard from people about how far you’ll go to get to know somebody before you even meet them,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “With the internet, you can hear someone’s voice, you can see what their style is like, you can see what their family looks like, you can find out so much about somebody before even meeting them.”
That’s exactly what Joe does in the movie, she explained. “He’s using the information that’s available to anybody and I think that’s the thing that we all have to remember: A lot of the stuff that he’s finding out about her is very Google-able,” she added. “Sometimes we forget how much we really put out there.”
Like Shay pointed out, it’s important for us to keep in mind how much of our lives we share with others — and make smart decisions when it comes to befriending followers online. While being active on social media can certainly be fun, it's also good to remember that staying safe on the internet should always be a priority.
As for the movie, let’s really hope everything turns out okay for Peach and Beck in the end. If you can’t wait to see Shay in her new role, make sure to tune in for its Lifetime premiere on September 9. But don’t hold your breath to see more of Emily Fields; Peach, Shay told Entertainment Weekly, is a “complete 180” from her PLL character. It looks like we’ll have to wait for a revival to return to our beloved Rosewood.
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