Jennifer Garner revealed how she convinced her kids to stay off social media
Mom-of-three Jennifer Garner recently opened up about how she doesn’t let her kids use social media—but she also revealed the argument she uses to back up her anti-social stance, and how her oldest child is now “grateful” for the boundaries she set for their online lives. (That’s a refreshing take from a teenager!)
During an appearance on the Today show, Garner said she took a simple approach to banning social media for her three kids. (Perhaps she’s traded notes with Pink?)
“I just said to my kids, ‘Show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers, and then we’ll have the conversation,'” she said. “Find scientific evidence that matches what I have that says that it’s not good for teenagers, then we’ll chat.”
Garner is a mom to 17-year-old Violet, 13-year-old Seraphina, and 11-year-old Samuel, all of whom she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck. And now that Violet is nearing adulthood, Garner said she’s grown to appreciate her mom’s stance.
“My eldest is grateful,” Garner explained. “It’s a long haul. I have a couple more to go, so just knock on wood. We’ll see if I really hang in there.”
It’s true that Garner’s real test is coming—at 13 and 11, Seraphina and Samuel are just getting to the age where they’re likely to start bugging Mom and Dad for profiles of their own.
Garner, who stars in the upcoming AppleTV+ series “The Last Thing He Told Me,” also spoke about how her firsthand experience raising her kiddos has prepared her for the role of stepmom.
“It’s really a story about motherhood,” she said. “My teens are pretty great, so I can’t really toss them in there. It’s a different scenario, different friction, but I am familiar with being deeply embarrassing, yes.”
