Selena Gomez to Critics: Lighten Up!

It’s easy to forget, considering her success, but Selena Gomez is only 19 years old.

The singer emphasized this point in a recent interview with Glamour, when asked how she reacts to backlash against her for dating a certain popular male singer.

“I feel like everything that I’m doing right now should not be taken too seriously,” Selena told the magazine. “I should be able to have fun and enjoy where I’m at! So I don’t want to spend my time hiding or worrying about all of that.”

Among other topics the artist touched on: rejection, Hollywood and her social media presence. Read on for excerpts.

On handling rejection: When I was 11 years old, I had a grown woman who was a casting director tell me I was not strong enough to carry the lead in any project. Now I’m doing things that I love, and I’m working really hard. I never want to play the victim or anything, but of course everybody deals with it.

On being young in Hollywood: You have this pressure to fit in and you want people to like you. I try my best to be a good person and be the best I can be.

On Facebook and Twitter: I love that I can stay connected with my fans and be able to tell them what’s going on. Their opinions are so important to me. But at the same time, it’s very weird. I think the Internet can be a great thing but also really evil. Something can instantly hurt your feelings.

Sadly, this is something with which Selena is all too familiar.