Jennifer Garner Bans Her Kids From Social Media And Her Teen Daughter Is ‘Grateful’ For It

Apr 17, 2023

Jennifer Garner has no qualms about banning her children from using social media and her daughter Violet, born in 2005, is grateful for this rule. Her two other kids – Seraphina, born in 2009, and Sam, born in 2012, are almost at that age where they might ask to open an account but the celebrity mom is confident she could hold them off as well.

Garner told "Today" hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb that her children do not hate or resent her for not allowing them on social media. She explained that she simply talked to them about showing scientific proof that not being on these platforms has an advantage for teenagers. 

The actress' dilemma is common among parents with children who are growing up among a generation of digital natives. However, navigating the digital environment, especially for young impressionable minds, has been linked to mental health issues like low self-esteem, anxiety and depression. 

In 2019, Garner spoke about turning down Violet's bid to join Instagram just like her friends in school. The celebrity mom told her daughter she doesn't see anything positive with it. 

Garner admitted that she might have been contradictory since she has a popular Instagram account with more than 14 million followers. The “13 Going on 30” star said she understood the appeal of the platform because it does make users "feel more connected” to each other. 

However, the actress also pointed out that she only uses her Instagram for her projects and causes, and has never ever shared facets about her children. She and her ex-husband, Ben Affleck, fought hard to protect their kids’ privacy since they were born and she was not about to change that by posting about them on social media. 

While Garner's approach to “show her scientific proof” worked on Violet, who is now "grateful" for not being on social media, the mom also knows this will be a long haul, with Seraphina and Sam slowly exploring their teenage life and possibly wondering if they can be on social media with their friends as well. 

"I have a couple more to go, so just knock on wood," Garner said. "We’ll see if I really hang in there." 

The actress also said that her kids are amazing but parenting them isn't without any challenges when there are so many pressures around them. She's aware that her children sometimes find her very "extra." 

"I think my children live feeling that way," Garner told Entertainment Tonight. "They would tattoo it. They don't even need to say it. It is fact." 

Garner also said that her kids see two versions of her and 90% of the time she’s the mother doting on her kids. Occasionally, she’s the movie star, fully made up and wearing sophisticated clothes. However, the actress said that Violet, Seraphina and Sam don't enjoy watching her films at all compared to their father’s work because they feel weird about it.

"They don't want to see me sad, and they don't want to see me in a romance," the actress revealed. "They don't love seeing me play someone else's mom, honestly."

Meanwhile, Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2023 that their children watched his blockbuster movie "Armageddon" and made fun of him. The older kids have also seen "Good Will Hunting," and they were engaged and interested on "an artistic level." 

What do you think of Jennifer Garner’s approach toward social media use for her kids? Do you agree with her parenting style? Know someone who’s a big Jennifer Garner fan? Then pass this story along to them!