Cate Blanchett thinks social media is “pathetic”.
The 46-year-old actress is one of the most famous screen stars in the world thanks to her roles in films such as Blue Jasmine and The Lord of the Rings.
And while celebrities such as the Kardashians have increased their profiles through the medium of sites like Twitter and Instagram, Cate can’t think of anything worse.
"People constantly are taking pictures of ourselves to send them to people to see if they like me, 'Do they like me' ” Cate told Yahoo! Beauty. “It's pathetic, the whole thing about people worrying about what other people are going to think.
“I just can't handle it. Of course you want people to go see the film that you make, of course you want them to enjoy them. But I'm not out there saying, 'Do they like the way I look'… You have to say, 'This is what I'm doing right now.'"
Cate is well aware of how powerful the Internet can be. However, she finds it difficult to understand the attraction to online engagement.
“It comes back to self-respect. It's this huge thing: 'Like me! Like me!' The like and dislike is just totally primary schoolyard,” she added. “I cannot for the life of me work out why adults are participating in that s**t."
Despite that, Cate does realise there are benefits to the world wide web. But she knows the negatives can outweigh the positives.
"There is so much great stuff on social media, I don't want to be on a soapbox about it,” she said. “I think it's a genuine way to build community… But the downside with social media is it divides people really quickly and sets up rivalry and jealousy."
Cate is a regular fixture on the red carpet, wowing fans in stunning ensembles at various award ceremonies.
But one thing she can’t stand is being asked to show off her outfit in the close-up cameras so many networks use at such events.
"Look, I understand, people get really excited about it,” Cate continued. “The dresses are incredible… But when it takes over and then you're asked to stand on this 360-degree camera, stick your toes into some device so they can beam your bunions around the world, it's like, 'No thank you.' "
