27 & Happy—Selena Gomez Discusses Love, Life & What She’s Learned

Life is generous. Selena Gomez’s 27th birthday Instagram post was so heartfelt. She got on the social media platform to share her joy over turning 27. The actress has been very vocal about not liking Instagram, or any form or social media because she feels it doesn’t breed a safe or healthy environment. But in a rare display of love for both her fans and herself, Gomez opened up on the social media app, thanking all of her fans for their endless support and sweet birthday well wishes. She wrote,

Well I’m 27 now. I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your words on my bday. Not just the quick notes. The thought that goes behind every word you write usually ends up with me crying grateful tears like I did last night. Praying for all of you!! I LOVE YOU.

Along with the adorable, gushing post, Gomez posted an adorable shot of herself enjoying a vacation in Italy. The former Disney Channel star hadn’t shared anything from this trip up until the birthday Instagram, a testament to her commitment to enjoying life rather than focusing on taking pictures and making sure people see them. But her somewhat lack of interest in social media hasn’t lessened her popularity. Gomez shared the picture just a wee 16 hours ago and already has well over nine million likes.

Source: Instagram

In the beginning of 2019, E! News reported that the “Wolves” singer was making a deliberate decision to take a step back from Instagram and not post much on her own account. “She isn’t going to be posting much on social because she is more aware of how social takes a toll on her mental health, but she will be updating her fans once in a while,” the source said at the time.

While chatting with Coach for the “Dream It Real” podcast, Gomez went into detail on her position on the platform and why she chooses to use it sparingly. “It is not that healthy to be on it all the time because I noticed with me, I got kind of depressed looking at these people who look beautiful and amazing, and it would just get me down a lot so I just think taking breaks is really important,” she explained. “But just know that most of it isn’t real. And I hate to say that, I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s very unrealistic in a lot of ways, and I think that for me, I want to protect the youngest generation because they are exposed to so much information, and I feel like that causes a lot of anxiety at the youngest age. Like, I didn’t grow up with that. I had dial-up internet. I think that sometimes people are exposed to too much, and you should really protect what you’re seeing and be mindful, be really mindful of how it makes you feel.”