Drake Bell: I'm glad I avoided the social media era
Drake Bell is relieved that he didn't have to contend with the pressures of social media.
Drake Bell feels fortunate that he didn't have to "live through" the social media era.
The 38-year-old star began his career as a child actor in the 90s, appearing on the hit TV show 'Home Improvement' and in several commercials - but Drake is grateful that he never had to deal with the scrutiny of social media.
The actor - who is perhaps best known for starring alongside Josh Peck on the Nickelodeon sitcom 'Drake and Josh' - told PEOPLE: "I'm thankful that Josh and I missed the social media era while we were working.
"We didn't have to compare, ‘Why did Josh have more followers than I do on Instagram? Oh, Josh got more likes on his picture than I did that I posted. What do I have to do?’ I'm just so glad that we didn't have to live through that."
Drake focused his efforts on his music career after leaving 'Drake and Josh', and he's been particularly successful in Mexico and South America.
The 'Terrific' hitmaker believes fans outside of the US have adopted a more open-minded attitude towards his music.
The singer explained: "I don't know if in the States maybe sometimes there's been a stigma of like, ‘Oh, you're on TV. You're not a real music [person].’ They just blur the lines outside the United States.
"So, they know me from the show, but the first time we went out there, they're singing all the lyrics from the album, the songs that aren't on the show, and fans are telling me about my lyrics and my songs. There's a strong love for the music outside the United States. It's really cool."
