Theo James Explains Why He Doesn't Use Social Media

"I'm glad there's not much information," the Insurgent actor says

Theo James is a man of mystery.

Though his Insurgent co-stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort use social media to varying degrees, the 30-year-old actor puts a premium on his privacy. "I'm glad there's not much information," he says.

James avoids the Hollywood scene, and unlike Woodley, he's not the type to speak candidly about his passions in the press. "I don't think I'd want to share those elements of my private life," James admits.

Needless to say, as far as Twitter and Instagram are concerned, James isn't on board.

"I don't have it and I never will. Other actors I know are really good at it and they rock and roll it, but it's not for me. If I post a picture of us having a drink now and get loads of views or comments and stuff, then suddenly you're quite exposed and you're in a world of work," he tells Flaunt. "I just like being present."

Embracing the moment is easier said than done, but James does his best to limit his distractions. "I think people struggle with that now, being present in a time and place. There's a lot of talk about mindfulness now and that's about the ability to be present and not constantly affected by erroneous sources around you—that stimulus through a computer or through worries," James says. "It's about being fully present."

Being unplugged has helped James gain clarity in all aspects of his life.

Though it might be tempting to Google himself, the actor says, "Most of the information is completely useless and it's totally mind numbing, because it doesn't actually add anything to your sense of self. And interacting singularly with an interface—there's a limited amount of learning that can be experienced."

What's distracting James these days?

"I've been wondering that...because I have been really like 'I need to shift.' I do feel distracted," he says. "I don't know about you but I am just kind of consciously, recently just trying to f--king look at less."

Still, James admits he's looked at things about himself in the past. "Everyone says it is the cardinal sin, but you inevitably do it by accident all the time, or you may see it on a newsstand or whatever. You end up forming a perception of yourself based on other people's opinions; a perception outside your own self, which is a f--king mind f--k because you start perceiving yourself as something that you aren't," he says. To prevent those perceptions from shaping reality, he advises, "Read more. Read every time you go to bed, read in the day—because at least reading a book, you can't be distracted by anything else."