Millie Bobby Brown, 22, revealed that her extensive childhood spent on the set of "Stranger Things" left her with a notable gap in a fundamental life skill: socialization. Speaking on the "Happy, Sad, Confused" podcast, Brown explained that her upbringing, largely devoid of typical public schooling and peer interaction, has made relating to people her own age a challenge.

"Sometimes, when fans come up to me, they’ll be like, ‘Millie!’ And I’ll be like, ‘Ahh!’ And it’s not because I’ve… It’s just I don’t know how to react sometimes to people my own age. I have a harder time," Brown stated.

She elaborated that her formative years on set involved predominantly interacting with older crew members. "I grew up with primarily men on crews — let’s change that — men over 40 years old," she said. "So I heard a lot of adult talk growing up, and didn’t really talk about the things you’re meant to talk about as a kid." The conversations she recalled were industry-focused, such as technical discussions about camera equipment rather than typical adolescent topics.

"So I could talk to that person extensively for hours about different lens changes and shots, but I can’t talk to you about, ‘Oh my god, what bars do you like around this area?!’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ So I do lack a little bit of that."

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Brown contrasted her experience with that of her husband, Jake Bongiovi, whom she described as a "social butterfly" due to his boarding school and college background. She is actively working to embrace a more social lifestyle, referring to it as her "social era."

In an effort to manage her mental health, Brown deleted social media apps from her phone in 2021 and now has a manager handle her accounts. While she allows her manager to post for her, she insists on writing her own captions to maintain a connection with her fans, though she avoids reading comments.

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Brown played Eleven, also known as Jane Hopper, throughout all five seasons of "Stranger Things," which aired from 2016 to 2025. Following the conclusion of filming, she admitted to experiencing "a slight depression," an outcome she did not anticipate.

Brown and Bongiovi married in May 2024. They announced in August 2024 that they had adopted a daughter, keeping her name and image private.