On Friday, October 18, a brand new episode of Raven’s Home debuted on Disney Channel that really tested the Baxter family and their friends. In the episode, which was called “Girls Just Wanna Have Phones,” Nia and Tess challenged Raven and Chelsea to see who can go the longest without technology, and boy, was it hard! In honor of the new episode, the cast of the epic series talked to J-14 exclusively. The actors opened up about who in the cast would be able to last the longest without their phones IRL. The also got real about dealing with the pressures of social media and the apps they cannot live without.
J-14: Between the cast, who do they think would be able to last the longest and shortest without their phones?
Issac Ryan Brown: I think Sky would last the shortest amount of time without her phone. And because I didn’t have one for a really long time, I think I could go the longest without mine.
Navia Robinson: I believe Issac would certainly last the longest without a phone. It’s actually impressive how long he could resist. Anneliese [van der Pol] really enjoys making personalized videos for her fans, which requires phone usage, so I think she’d struggle the most being away from her phone for a long period of time.
Sky Katz: Raven[-Symoné] would be able to last the longest without her phone, and I would probably last the shortest amount of time.
Jason Maybaum: Issac can definitely last the longest. Sky would be the shortest!
J-14: What app do you use the most/can’t live without?
Issac: I definitely use YouTube the most.
Navia: I definitely use the camera app the most. I enjoy taking pictures of my surroundings and capturing the moment. My pictures are representations of my memories.
Sky: The app I can’t live without is iMessage. I text people all the time, and have to communicate to get certain things done. Plus, I can always text my friends if I’m not in the same state they are.
Jason: Clips; it’s a movie making app where you can create illusions.
J-14: How do you deal with the pressures of social media?
Issac: I deal with the pressure of social media by brushing the negative comments off. In my opinion you hurt your haters more by being happy.
Navia: When dealing with the pressures of social media I find it best to simply log off. Turn off your notifications, mute or unfollow accounts that strain your mental health. When you’re struggling with the pressures of social media, the less reminders, the better.
Sky: I surround myself with positive people, so if any comments or anything ever gets to me (which isn’t usually the case), I just know I’m loved and have people there for me.
Jason: I really don’t feel I have pressures of social media because I find my followers to be respectful in their comments.
J-14: Do you ever feel like you have to take a break from social media or was there ever a time it became too much?
Issac: I always take a break from social media to focus on what I love — acting, singing and dancing.
Navia: I find myself overwhelmed with social media frequently. When part of your job is managing your accounts, Instagram and Twitter can mentally suffocate you. Social media can be very beneficial, but it’s imperative to not get so addicted to it that you lose appreciation for reality.
Sky: Sometimes I feel like social media distracts us from appreciating the world off our screens, so I put it down to play sports, play with my dogs, etc.
Jason: No, I don’t spend that much time on it.
J-14: What is your favorite part of social media?
Issac: My favorite part of social media is that I get to connect with my fans. 20 years ago, artists only got to talk to their fans in concert or backstage… [Now,] we can talk to them with a click of a button. I love kicking it with my fans, they make me laugh.
Navia: My favorite part about social media is that it can be used to spread awareness. I appreciate that in this modern age, social media helps us become informed. Additionally, I enjoy using social media to communicate and share with friends.
Sky: My favorite part of social media is being able to communicate with my fans, and showing them the real me.
Jason: I love sharing experiences with my fans.
J-14: What is your least favorite part of social media?
Issac: What I don’t like about social media is how time consuming it can be. Sometimes figuring out the right caption or even what to post about can be a little nerve-racking.
Navia: My least favorite aspect of social media is that it’s often inauthentic and fosters the creation of artificial lives.
Sky: My least favorite part is how it gives trolls a place to hate and hide behind their screens.
Jason: My least favorite part of social media is making sure I’m not excluding anyone’s opinions.
You can watch this episode in DisneyNOW. New episodes of Raven’s Home are available Friday evenings at 8pm EST/PST on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW.
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