Viola Davis says social media and escapism have a negative impact on filmmaking: 'It destroys our art form'

• Viola Davis, 56, spoke at the Produced By Conference on Saturday, according to Variety.
• The 'First Lady' actress said social media "has taken over the defining" of film and television.

Viola Davis, 56, criticized social media and said escapism in film and television "destroys our art form" at the Produced By Conference on Saturday.

Variety's Matt Donnelly reports that Davis and her husband, actor and producer Julius Tennon, 68, spoke about JuVee Productions, the company they launched in 2011. The panel was sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter and moderated by actress Yvette Nicole Brown.

During the conversation, the couple shared the process around greenlighting films, while Davis honed in on social media's influence over studios and audiences.

"Social media has taken over the defining of this art form," Davis said, according to Variety. "I think that the word 'escapism' is something that is interesting — the goal all of us have is to sit in a movie with the popcorn and Sour Patch Kids and forget about our lives — but, literally, it destroys our art form."

Davis also shared that her daughter, 11-year-old Genesis, watches large-scale productions like Marvel movies, the outlet reports. The actress said she's also a fan of those films, but "every time you're in a room selling a narrative, it's about how much you can create a story that allows us to escape."

The Oscar-winning actress continued: "The characters then become a Mr. Potato Head, become Bobble Heads. We forget who these people are really until a movie comes along and blows our mind."

Davis noted that the goal at JuVee is to create projects for underrepresented voices that feel realistic.

"The talent is there but the material is not and after a while, you need to be the change you wanted to see," she said, according to THR's Mia Galuppo. "I did not want to see another narrative where I am crying over my dead son's body after dying from a drive-by shooting."

THR also reports that the couple advocated for better working conditions during the discussion. Davis added that she hasn't figured out how to have work-life balance yet because "we live in a culture where our ideology is work-based."

The actress has been vocal about her experiences in the entertainment industry. In May, she told Variety that she was turned down from roles because of her race. In the same interview, she also said a director she knew for 10 years once called her by his maid's name.