Jennifer Garner’s challenge for her kids is something her eldest is “grateful” for - and it’s totally understandable!
Whilst the Yes Day star prefers to give her children a high level of privacy, the mom-of-three hasn’t shied away from discussing parenthood. Back in 2021 Jennifer Garner opened up on the price of fame and how it’s affected her family and explained her children were “heartbroken” by the pandemic. Now Jennifer Garner has revealed the huge challenge she set for Violet (17), Seraphina (14) and Samuel (11) and many parents might be able to relate to her concerns.
Speaking during an appearance on Today with Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on April 11, Jennifer explained why her three kids whom she co-parents with former husband Ben Affleck aren’t on social media. She set them a challenge to prove that they should be - but it was an incredibly difficult one to fulfill.
"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,'” Jennifer shared. “'Find scientific evidence that matches what I have, that says that it's not good for teenagers. Then we'll chat’."
It seems that no articles were found by Violet, Seraphina and Samuel to initiate this candid social media “chat” as none of them are on online platforms. Though according to Jennifer this is something that at least one of her children doesn’t regret.
Asked by the hosts how her kids feel "at this point", Jennifer responded, “My eldest is grateful."
She admitted that given it’s a “long haul” she’s not saying never to having a possible change of heart when Seraphina and Samuel are older and begin asking her about social media more.
“We'll see. I mean, it's a long haul," she said. "I have a couple more to go, so just knock on wood. We'll see if I really hang in there."
When it comes to her and her former husband Ben Affleck’s eldest child Violet, Jennifer explained on the Next Question with Katie Couric podcast in 2019 why she was against her joining Instagram even though she has an account herself.
Jennifer told Katie, “Without even having parents who are well-known, I worry about all kids having to deal with this new pressure. My daughter’s at an all-girl school, and it’s such a huge problem.”
Although she admitted Violet (who was then 13) would “occasionally” talk about getting Instagram, Jennifer said the same thing about presenting evidence that it makes teenagers “happier” to use it, then they would talk.
She continued to explain what she told Violet, saying, “‘But everything you look at, I don’t see anything positive for you out there. You can look at mine when you want to, we can go over it together, but I just don’t see it.'”
When it comes to her own social media accounts, it seems Jennifer was determined to do things her way and said she only joined Instagram because of her organic baby food company Once Upon a Farm which required her to have an online presence.
“I have to be able to do this my way,” she declared regarding her mindset. “I went out there and did what felt right for me.”
