Cameron Dallas’ Rough Childhood: ‘I Didn’t Want To Be Seen Out In Public’

Cameron Dallas seems to have it all these days: The 22-year-old internet sensation works as a model, an actor, and as a “social influencer.” He’s good looking, he has millions of fans around the world, and a recent Netflix docu-series, Chasing Cameron, that followed his life. But it wasn’t always easy for Cameron Dallas, as he reveals in a heartfelt confession – just like every other teenager, he used to have issues with his self confidence. And being in the spotlight from a young age, those issues have led to him not wanting to be seen in public, even by his family. Eventually, he had to find ways to handle his anxiety.

Cameron Dallas started his career at the age of 17 as a “social media influencer” and model on Instagram, where he now has more than 19 million followers. On Twitter, Cameron has more than 10 million followers, and his YouTube channel has more than five million subscribers. Aside from modelling, he also owns the worldwide “Magcon Tour” – a meet and greet event where fans get to meet their young social media idols in person.

But in an interview with Seventeen, Cameron Dallas reveals that during his puberty years, he was a “late bloomer.” He suffered from acne like most other teenagers, but for him, as someone who became famous by posting photos online – that was a major issue.

“People would meet me and be like, ‘You’re not Cameron Dallas,’ and I’d be like, ‘I am,’ and then they’d go off and tweet like, ‘Cameron Dallas is so ugly; he doesn’t look like he does in pictures.’ It killed my confidence. I didn’t want to be seen out in public or even by my family, and I photoshopped all of my photos.”

“Now, what I like to do is let people in so they can see that someone else is experiencing what they’ve experienced.”

Remembering those days when every picture mattered, is Cameron more self-aware these days, and is he careful with the photos he posts online? Not necessarily – and he’s definitely not in the business of deleting embarrassing photos, as he told Vanity Fair.

“I have [deleted a post before, but] I don’t do it too often anymore. I feel like that was more like when I first started… Sometimes I’ll look back and be like, Wow, why did I even upload that photo? My hair looks dumb. But most of the time I just laugh and I think that’s a part of growing, so I just leave it up.”

But Cameron Dallas’ confidence issues at his early age have also led to anxiety and panic attacks, things he still has to endure today. In his recent Netflix series, Chasing Cameron, Cameron was seen having to deal with several anxiety attacks that prevented him from going on stage. Today, as Cameron explains, he has a surefire way to handle anxiety – he calms himself down by controlling his breathing, and then he tells himself that whatever the situation is, it’s not a big deal.

In Chasing Cameron, as reported on the Inquisitr, Cameron’s sister Sierra Dallas revealed that Cameron was bullied as a child, and was kind of a loner – until Instagram came along.

“Once social media came around,” said Cameron’s sister, “That’s when he came out of his shell and became a prankster.”

Today, with millions of fans and a body that no one would dare bully, does Cameron Dallas have any advice for his younger self, the one that was a loner and suffered from confidence issues? Yes, according to his Seventeen interview, and it’s about being a leader who doesn’t get frustrated by other people.

“I would tell myself not to get offended if I hit someone up to hang out and they didn’t text me back. My mom gave me advice to never get frustrated with someone just because they weren’t doing what I would do.”

“I’m always the one hitting people up, but some people are different and won’t ever be the ones to reach out. My mom helped me see that it was a positive to be the leader, and I’ve applied that to my life.”

It’s interesting, and maybe even encouraging, to see that a handsome social media star suffers from the same confidence issues that the rest of us have – and Cameron Dallas is brave for speaking about them publicly.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]