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‘Law & Order: SVU’ Star Mariska Hargitay Speaks Out on Social Media in New Message to Fans

Mariska Hargitay, the star of Law & Order: SVU used an upbeat, information-packed social media post to warn her followers about social media.

Specifically, Hargitay posted a three-minute-long video clip to her Instagram page. She wasn’t her Olivia Benson character. Rather, she was just Mariska, even stopping, briefly, to say hello to fans. She playfully called it her “rant” of the day and thanked people for listening. She’s on a street somewhere in New York, probably near the Law & Order: SVU studio. And she wanted to talk about social media and how it made people feel when they got off of a platform. It all seemed so unrehearsed.

“Hey, it’s me again,” Hargitay said. “You probably saw my Instagram post … I think in the movie I Am Evidence that they talk about the neurobiology of trauma. So I’ve been thinking a lot about neuroscience and this is what I want to say, and I say this to people about everything, about who you’re hanging out with, who you’re spending time with.

Hargitay continued, specifically addressing social media: “And I want to say to always say check in with your nervous system … How do you feel, how do you feel when you get off of it, do you feel good?

The Law & Order: SVU star then thanked some of her followers for their comments and asked everyone to research dopamine. That’s what helps regulate our emotions.

“We’re blowing out our dopamine receptors. Learn about dopamine receptors. Let’s go into (social media) consciously.”

Hargitay continued: “So many of us go to social media for our support systems… And I do, too, I have so many friends, checking in with friends, seeing their families… So many of us use these platforms to stay connected. That, too, is so important. I’m all for it one of those people who do it.”

Then Hargitay brought up Facebook and the algorithms that show users pre-selected content.

“Let’s go in eyes wide open, let’s go in with our nervous system and our gut guiding us,” the Law & Order: SVU star said. “Was that a healthy choice for me, did that make me feel good? “

Earlier this month, Hargitay and some of the other stars of Law & Order: SVU saw firsthand how social media can negatively impact someone. Isabel Gillies, who played Kathy Stabler on SVU, experienced backlash about her character, with social media users going after Gillies, personally.

Gillies character was married to Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) on the show. But she died last season. Still, fans believed that her actions were keeping Stabler and Benson from getting together.

Meloni, Ice-T (Fin) and Meloni posted words of encouragement for Gillies, who shared her social media experiences in a column she wrote for Substack.