Ada Nicodemou supports new campaign helping people unplug from social media

Home and Away soap star Ada Nicodemou’s young son Johnas often stars in her Instagram posts, but allowing him his own phone and social media is a frightening prospect.

With the 12-year-old starting high school next year, the actor said she will probably give him a mobile phone, but she is well aware of the pitfalls, especially after reading the tragic story of Mac Holdsworth.

The 17-year-old took his own life in 2023 after being harassed online by a predator.

That’s why Nicodemou is backing Unplug24, a campaign to boycott networking platforms for 24 hours on October 24, the first anniversary of Mac’s death.

The idea was the brainchild of Mac’s dad Wayne, who has set up a suicide prevention charity called SmackTalk in memory of his son, and to raise awareness of dangers such as sextortion, bullying and depression.

So far, Unplug24 has seen a wave of support from household names including singer Jessica Mauboy, Health Minister Mark Butler and fitness instructor Michelle Bridges, who have pledged to be silent on social media on October 24.

Others who have come forward to back the campaign include former commando and Hollywood actor Damien Thomlinson, comedian Rob Shehadie, and fashion designer to the stars Nicky Apostolopoulos, under the name Velani.

“I really feel for kids,” Nicodemou, 47, said. “Trying to navigate this as he (Johnas) gets older will be hard.”

She said she has a “love, hate relationship” with social media because it is addictive.

She occasionally gets negative comments from trolls and while she tries not to let them bother her, she said she would be lying to say they don’t have an impact.

“The longer we can keep kids of social media the better,” she said.

Thomlinson, who lost both his legs in a Taliban bomb blast, went into sport and acting after the accident, starring in the 2016 blockbuster Hacksaw Ridge, where he worked alongside Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson.

He’s lost friends to suicide.

“I also know first-hand what can happen when a person already having dark thoughts turns to social media, and it can very quickly lead down an unproductive path,” Thominson said.

“I personally believe that the cumulative effect of social media could be the final push for someone in a vulnerable state. The bullying, judgement, division – social media can bring out the very worst in people.

“For me, switching off socials for a day is saying no to the fake world people create online that can impact how people perceive their real life.

“It means more conversations in person, less doom-scrolling, less craving for likes, follows, less exposure to potential bullying and judgement, and everything that comes with social media.”

Actor and comedian Rob Shehadie stressed the importance of discussing suicide and social media’s effects, warning that silence can leave people isolated and vulnerable.

“Let the kids be kids. Let them be influenced by their siblings and their school friends who are a small circle of love,” the Here Come the Habibs star said.

“Social media can sometimes break that circle of trust and allow outsiders to get in and influence the children in a negative way which then puts pressure on them.

“That alone time can be a dangerous place, especially for our kids. That alone time is the devil’s playground where he gets into the minds of our children.”

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Originally published as Home and Away star Ada Nicodemou joins new campaign to unplug from social media