"Show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers," she said to her kids.
Jennifer Garner revealed that her kids don't use social media, and her oldest daughter says she's "grateful" for it. During a recent interview on TODAY to talk about her new Apple TV+ Show, The Last Thing He Told Me, the 50-year-old actor shared that her three kids, whom she shares with ex Ben Affleck, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 11, are all off social media.
Garner described to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb how she manages to keep her three teenage children off social media. “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.”
Actor Jennifer Garner and author Laura Dave talk about the friendship they developed while adapting the bestselling novel “The Last Thing He Told Me” into a new series. pic.twitter.com/2trhgGWVQJ
— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) April 11, 2023
There's a lot of conversation about children's usage of social media. The government has already gotten involved in one instance, per TODAY. After Governor Spencer Cox signed two pieces of legislation into law last month, Utah became the first state to mandate parental permission before allowing children to access social media. All social media firms are required by law to confirm the age of any Utah resident using their platform, and if the user is a minor, parental approval must be acquired.
Garner claimed that Violet, her oldest, has enjoyed being taken off of social media. Seraphina and Samuel, meantime, are starting to reach the critical age when many children begin requesting permission from their parents to open their own social media accounts. “My eldest is grateful,” Garner said. “It’s a long haul. I have a couple more to go, so just knock on the wood. We’ll see if I really hang in there.”
In The Last Thing He Told Me, which launches on April 14, Garner plays the stepmother of a teen. The series, which is based on Laura Dave's 2021 best-selling novel, follows the tale of a mother who joins forces with her teenage stepdaughter to find her husband after he goes missing. "It's really a story about motherhood," Garner said about the plot of the series.
"I’m familiar," she said, sharing that she really relates to the character she plays. "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."
When Julia Roberts was unable to take on the character that Garner played, she stepped into the breach. "Once (Roberts) wasn't available, I thought, 'Oh before my colleagues and peers know about this, I have to get in there and go hardcore,' and it worked," she said.
"I put my kids to bed, I brewed some coffee, and I stayed up all night writing impassioned letters about, 'I don't do this really very often, but I really feel called to play this role, I love it so much and here's why,'" Garner added.
References:
https://www.today.com/parents/teens/jennifer-garner-kids-no-social-media-rcna79098
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZb8BLek1S8
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | David Livingston
