Zayn Malik "doesn't believe" in social media.

The 24-year-old former One Direction hunk might have a vast following on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, but the star isn't a prolific user of either website as he finds the pressures of social media "ridiculous", and has accused it of "breeding" a generation of followers, rather than leaders.

Speaking to VMAN magazine, Zayn said: It's become ridiculous to me. Even angles of pictures can't be taken a certain way because that's not the cool way to take an angle of a picture.

"Everyone's personal opinions and what they believe in, how can you amalgamate all of that into one thing and expect that not to create a problem for people's minds?

"That's my personal opinion, that it's not really that developing for us as people. That for me is the main reason why I don't believe in social media: because I believe it breeds sheep and not lions."

And it isn't just social media that the 'Pillowtalk' hitmaker finds himself shying away from either, as he previously revealed is doesn't believe is particularly "outgoing" in his daily life, and admitted is has been a whole year since he "properly showed his face" in public.

He said: "Personally I am not a very outgoing, like, social person. Like, in terms of big groups of people; it's been a year since I've properly shown my face. I always feel like I'm trying to work through whatever certain issues are around certain subjects.

"For me personally, I think it comes from a place of not ever wanting to come across as an over-arrogant person or a person that takes themselves too seriously. I'm not always trying to be pretentious or say something that I think is going to change the world. I feel like I'm one voice among millions."