Ed Sheeran Is Done With Social Media

Grammy-winner and Taylor Swift-bestie Ed Sheeran broke some major news to his 5.5 million Instagram followers and his over 16 million Twitter followers on Sunday. In a lengthy Instagram post, Sheeran announced he is quitting social media. The singer said that he is taking a break from "his phone, emails and all social media for a while" and will even be "buggering off a bit" from his friends and family.

It would make sense that the singer-songwriter would need a break. He just completed 179 tour dates, co-hosted the 2015 MTV EMAs, and released a bestselling album. In September, he tweeted that his collaboration with Rudimental would be his last song until the release of his third album, and around this time, Sheeran began talking about steeping out of the spotlight for a while. In October, he talked to MTV News about plans to take a step back from social media starting Jan. 1. “My plan is to get rid of my iPhone, get rid of internet, get a Nokia 330 and just go off into the wilderness somewhere for a bit,” Sheeran told MTV. “Even if it’s just a month without contact with other people.”

It would appear that Sheeran is starting his social media black out a little early. On Saturday, Dec. 12, the star finished his world tour for X in Auckland, New Zealand and later that evening he posted this image to his Instagram account:

It appears that this social media cleanse will directly coincidence with Sheeran's work on his still untitled third album. So yay for new music from him, but boo to not seeing his smiling face on our Instagram feeds.

Sheeran isn't alone in his purge of social media. Going off the social media grid has become the latest cleanse craze for Hollywood stars. Whether it's a short hiatus or a permanent departure, tons of celebrities have a love-hate relationship with social media.

Iggy Azalea

Starting in early 2015, Iggy Azalea has had an on-off relationship with Twitter and Instagram. The trouble started when body-shamers bullied the star over her visible cellulite in a bikini photo. The rapper has since returned to Twitter, but her Instagram continues to be run by her management team.

Rihanna

In 2014, after her account was disabled due to violating Instagram's terms of agreement, RiRi subsequently quit the site for a time due to what she viewed as the company's unfair censoring policies. Thankfully, Rihanna and her weed and nudity-filled posts did not stay away for long.

Kanye West

On Oct. 4, 2012 Kanye West quit Twitter for an entire day because — I have no idea. I don't understand why Kanye does any of the things that he does.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

In 2013, Jennifer Love Hewitt quit Twitter over the negativity and threats she and her family received over the social media service. "Unfortunately with all the negativity people choose to send on Twitter as well as threats to their own well being, I'm sad to say Twitter is no longer for me," wrote the star, to her then-600,000 followers. "I have enjoyed all the kindness and love that came my way, as well as support. But this break is needed." When social media becomes toxic, it is always best to step away.

Adele

As if you didn't already have enough reasons to love Adele. The star's twitter account is now run by management after a few too many bad experience with "drunk tweeting," the songbird told BBC. "My management decided that you have to go through two people and then it has to be signed off by someone, but they're all my tweets," Adele said. "No one writes my tweets. They just post them for me." How do I get someone to do this for my own tweets?

Lena Dunham

In 2015, Lena Dunham took a step back from social media after some unpleasant exchanges with fans. Dunham says she suffered verbal abuse and body-shaming after posting on image of herself in underwear on Instagram. "It wasn't a graphic picture," Dunham told the Re/code Decode podcast. "I was wearing men's boxers, and it turned into the most rabid, disgusting debate about women's bodies, and my Instagram page was somehow the hub for misogynists for the afternoon." Dunham no longer looks at Instagram and Twitter and now posts through a third party. She doesn't even know the passwords to her own accounts.

Tina Fey

According to Time, Tina Fey once told co-star Tituss Burgess she is not on Twitter because "Why would I give my jokes away for free?" Fey has also been quoted as saying people on Twitter are boring. Specifically, Mashable reports that Fey said, "I think you should have to get a license to use Twitter because most people are so f*cking boring that they should shut up." So put Twitter on the list of things that Tina Fey feels very strongly about.

Essena O'Niell

Instagram model Essena O'Neill famously quit Instagram in a passionate post titled, "Why I Think Social Media Sucks." O'Neill then editing the captions on her photo to more accurately reflect the reality of her Instagram images. She has since made her page private and dedicated herself to her social activism site, "Let's Be Game Changers." She has become an advocate against the harmful effects social media can have on a person.

Luckily, Sheeran's departure from social media does not seem to be a permanent one but still, please don't go, Ed. We'll miss you too much!