Showbiz tsismis: Anne Curtis is social media queen

She already has more than five million followers on Twitter, the most for any Filipino celebrity, and still counting. And despite having bashers, @annecurtissmith plans to keep on tweeting for as long as she can. tabloid! catches up with her to talk tweets and excessive sharing.

You have the largest number of followers on Twitter, and your followers get really involved in your posts. How did you do it?

I guess I was just one of those that really used Twitter as part of my interaction with the public. I just tweet whatever is happening to me — whether it’s significant or mundane. I try to make it interesting and fun… I think that’s why my following grew.

Do you tweet about your personal life?

Oh, yes. That’s the beauty of social media — you get to share a part of your life with others. Although it can also be a bane because you allow parts of you to be public — that can be stressful sometimes, especially when people think you’re close to enough to tweet something a little too personal.

So, where do you draw the line?

I’ve mastered the art of indifference. In the beginning, I would react and pick a fight, especially if it’s my family who has become the target of the bashing. I am very protective about my family. A lot of people seem to forget we are humans, too, with feelings. We can also get crushed and affected. But in time, I’ve learned to choose my battles. I do not dwell on the negative, just the positive. And if I keep an open mind about negative posts — one, they don’t know everything and I don’t have to explain anything; two, I try to understand where they are coming from. But if it gets me nowhere, I just let it go. Not worth my time.

Others are just bashing for the sake of doing it, which is so negative; or they want their five minutes of fame. It’s now up to any celebrity to give it to them.

I can also block them with a click. [Laughs] Plus, I also have followers who take the cudgels for me.

What’s the greatest benefit you see for celebrities on social media?

It’s the way people relate to each other now. Sure, we have our traditional relationships; but social media has allowed us to get closer to our fans because they get to know more about us. What I have also found to be really beneficial is that we can get involved in social change or to help others. In the Philippines especially where natural disasters strike every so often. We can mobilise support and help in an instant, which also means we have to use this tool more responsibly.