‘The Young And The Restless’ Star Tyler Johnson Opens Up About The Perils Of Social Media As An Actor
The Young and the Restless star Tyler Johnson portrays social media guru Theo Vanderway on the sudser, and he recently discussed how he and his on-screen alter ego have different takes on using social media platforms to share glimpses into a person’s life.
Recently, Summer (Hunter King) chastised Theo (Tyler Johnson) for being too focused on trying to get Lola (Sasha Calle) away from Kyle (Michael Mealor). He’s been so caught up in his plans, Theo failed to do his job for Jabot — manage their social media influencers. Ultimately, Summer had Theo delete an inappropriate post from one of Jabot’s brand influencers. However, in general, Theo has his finger on the pulse of the next significant online trends.
Johnson recently opened up to CBS Soaps in Depth about how unlike Theo he is in his real life.
“It’s kind of a stretch for me to play because I’m sort of social media averse,” said Johnson. “It’s not that I don’t like the landscape — I enjoy engaging with it, but as an artist, I’m sensitive. You see all the good things that come across, but then what’s the one thing that you focus on? The negative!”
Lots of actors and other celebrities struggle with the downside of social media as well. Freed from having to speak face-to-face and enjoying a sense of anonymity behind a keyboard, many social media users tend to be far harsher online than they would be to somebody in person. While the negativity may be the same for celebrities and non-celebrities, the sheer amount of reactions typically differs significantly.
Like many actors in his position, Johnson tries to keep himself out of the fray when it comes to being online and being involved in all the negativity that sometimes thrives there.
“I understand the power of social media, and I understand the power of these platforms and those who can utilize them in a really big way. I have a lot of respect for that.”
The actor went on to explain that he enjoys getting to understand social media and how it influences things without actually having to immerse himself in the culture, since it is so difficult to avoid and ignore the negative comments from fans. Y&R viewers certainly have their opinions on Theo’s storylines, and soap fans aren’t shy about vehemently expressing their thoughts and wants for the show. Sometimes when fans don’t like a storyline, that negativity can spill over to the actors themselves instead of allowing them to focus on the fictional characters they portray on the small screen.
