‘Strength is being vulnerable.’

My mom did a lot of theater growing up. So I think it was instinctual for me to perform. I loved being able to make people laugh, and if anyone was sad, I didn’t like it. I always tried to make people feel good, to feel something. So whenever I would see my mom perform, I thought, Maybe I’ll have the chance to do that one day. I would use my entire neighborhood as my stage.

When I started working as a child, my mom was the person in my life who helped guide me. I understood that acting was a job, that I would have fun, that I would enjoy it—and that if I didn’t enjoy it anymore, that I should stop doing it. I also had school to do. That’s the base of how I grew up. There were moments when I had to be like an adult, but when I was on set, I still felt like a kid.

Photograph by Luisa Dörr for TIME

I am glad I grew up in the time that I did. I think it’s really hard to be a kid now, especially with social media. I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up with that. It’s already difficult to get up every day and just feel good about yourself without seeing the highlights of everyone else’s life. That’s why I like being vulnerable with my fans on social media. I like that they’ve seen my mistakes. I try to use that as a way to connect with them. That’s all I can do. I hope that they know that strength doesn’t mean that you have to put on a facade. Strength is being vulnerable.

Gomez rose to fame on the Disney Channel and is an actor and singer.