Lindsay Lohan wishes she had social media during her rise to fame: 'None of us had a say in how to control our own narrative'

Lindsay Lohan hasn't fully pulled back the curtain on her new life in Dubai where she moved with her husband Bader Shammas. But it's clear that she's pleased with the anonymity that she's gained while living in a place with no paparazzi.

While the 36-year-old actress told Cosmopolitan that there's "too much" social media today, she was quick to acknowledge the positives in public figures having a tool to tell their own story.

"When I first started out in the business, none of us had a say in how to control our own narrative. There were paparazzi pictures, and then people ran with it," she said. "So I think it's really good that in this day and age, people can say who they are and who they want to be. And I admire and appreciate that. I'm a little jealous because I didn't have that."

Lohan famously grew up in the hey day of tabloids and paparazzi who captured photos of young stars like herself, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears and published them alongside sensational headlines. All three have talked about the impact of being followed and photographed and have tapped into social media as a way to reclaim their image. Lohan, however, explained that it's still an adjustment.

"I think it moves really fast and I just try to keep up as best I can," she said. "And I check everything before I post it. I'll send it to people. Because you have to."

She's also realized the importance of not impulsively engaging with haters on her platforms.

"You have to take everything people say with a grain of salt and just be you. And slow down, because everyone's so quick right now," she told the magazine. "People just don't stop. You've got to chill."

Although she's enjoying her more private life in the United Arab Emirates, Lohan assured readers that acting in front of a camera is still where she feels most at home.

"I kind of just immerse myself in it right away. It's just like, something happens. And it's always been like that with me. I just change. I get comfortable right away," she said. "The second I’m in front of the camera, everything else stops."

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