Shay Mitchell used to eat lunch in the bathroom to avoid her bullies.
Shay Mitchell
The 'Pretty Little Liars' star is relieved she was able to escape her bullies at the end of the school day but admits social media has become an "inescapable outlet" filled with her critics.
She said: "Instead of going to the cafeteria, I'd say, 'Why deal with this?' and I'd eat in a bathroom stall. At least when I left school for the day, it stopped.
"It doesn't now. You have your phone on you, and the bullying continues. I can't imagine having all these inescapable outlets when I was that age."
However, the 29-year-old actress sees the importance of having an online presence and uses a range of sites - Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram - for different purposes.
She added: "On Snapchat, I show what I'm doing for the day, YouTube is the full experience, and Instagram is my highlight reel - don't think it doesn't take me 20 minutes to post there! That's my brand, and I take it very seriously."
Shay also likes to post uplifting messages on her social media accounts to encourage others to spread positivity.
She shared: "You don't understand the ripple effect of saying something positive to somebody - that can change a day."
And the brunette beauty is already planning the topic of her next YouTube series.
She revealed to Self magazine: "I have so many different interests and love trying new things, which is how the YouTube channel came about ...
"Next I'm doing a series on my workout lifestyle. I like to switch it up so I don't get bored. Sometimes I'll just go to the UCLA track and run up and down the bleachers."
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