Actor Michael Cera explains why he doesn't use a smartphone

Pretty much everyone has a smartphone in this day and age and there's no hiding from the fact that we can't go a minute without dabbling on our phones. Actor Michael Cera might be an odd one out considering he doesn't own a smartphone. He is shedding light on why he doesn't have a social media presence. The 34-year-old actor from "Arrested Development" spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, explaining that he never felt compelled to be online. "I guess it's just something I didn't elect to do," he said. "Because everybody does it, it starts to feel like a big choice. But it's just not interesting to me." He went on to add that he also does not use a smartphone, which is a conscious choice. "I feel a bit of fear about it honestly like I'd lose control of my waking life." He told THR that "a lot of people" tell him they're envious of him. "For many years, people resented me for this lifestyle choice," he shared. "But now people say that they envy it."

Cera pointed out an incident that had led him to dislike smartphones. "I had lunch with a friend of mine who was my best friend at the time, and he'd just gotten a Blackberry, and for the whole meal he was typing emails, and I was sat there lonely and bored," he recalled. "So I had an early aversion to them." When asked if social media has impacted his career in any way, especially now when so many producers are looking for actors with big online followings to help with promotion, he said "it's very possible" that not having a social media presence has somewhat impacted him. "I mean, I'm not holding any sway in that category. So if that's an important thing, I wouldn't be considered."

Cera is very private and it seems he wants to keep it that way. He and his partner, Nadine, maintain their family life with a 1½-year-old son out of the public eye, adding that his wife is not a fan of the limelight. "I think when you get famous, you're just like a magnet to people," he said. "And all kinds of people come up to you, and I just can't handle it. I'm not cut out for that level of interaction with so many different types. I don't have a strong enough personality for that." He goes on to explain why he hasn't always felt at ease in the spotlight throughout the years. "It was kind of a mixed emotion for me, because I love working, and I love what I get to do for a living obviously, but a lot of it comes with other things you have to be good at," he said. "Like, to be good at being an actor, you kind of have to be an amazing public figure."

He made a note of how "Year One" star Jack Black handled those who approached him in 2008. Cera said, “Okay, I actually just don’t have the makeup.” Because he’s amazing at it. He’s so generous with everyone, and it’s really beautiful that he can give up himself in that way. It’s a personality type." In other parts of the interview, he discusses how being a parent has altered his perspective on work and how his family is now his top priority. "I think the only thing that it affects is that you just want to spend as much time with them as possible," Cera said. "So when I was 20, I would have been way happier to go off to some weird city and live in a hotel for three months. And when you have kids, you want to be with your family. And you miss them a lot."