Why Jennifer Garner Protects Her Children from Social Media: ‘It’s Not Good For Teenagers’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Hollywood actress and mother of three, Jennifer Garner, recently revealed why she does not let her children use social media.
Garner is mom to Violet,17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11, whom she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck.
“I just said to my kids, ‘Tell me — show me the articles that prove that social media is good for teenagers, and then we’ll have the conversation,” the actress shared. “But find scientific evidence that matches what I have that says that it’s not good for teenagers, and then we’ll chat.”
Garner said her eldest child is “grateful” that she’s been kept off social media, but the actress admitted it’s “a long haul.”
The YES DAY star is open about her pride as a mother and her efforts to protect her children.
Garner’s rule about social media echoes reports from Movieguide®’s Dr. Baehr. Movieguide® previously reported:
Movieguide® Founder and Publisher Dr. Ted Baehr explores the affects of media on children’s brains in his book, The Culture-Wise Family.
Baehr advocates that parents teach their families media discernment in order to help them process the content they consume.
Baehr writes:
Many children become obsessed with electronic devices – be it video games or social media. Some wind up in doctor’s offices being prescribed dangerous medications to deal with soul problems. Suicide is the result of a massive bout of soul sickness.
In 2014, a young man named Elliot Rodger killed six people, injured 14 others and then killed himself, because his soul was cancerous. He was angry that girls didn’t want to fornicate with him even though he considered himself attractive. He concluded he had been cheated in life and that only murderous revenge would satisfy his angry soul.
Happily, such tragedies are rare, but everyone experiences ups and downs in their soul’s health. Frustration, anger, stress, and depression are like your soul having a cold or flu. Long-term soul sickness can make a person very undesirable.
Those with a happy soul are more pleasant, but many people seek happiness by traveling down paths that lead to great unhappiness. Many people seek happiness in ways the media presents as attractive when in reality they’re not. There are a lot of movies and songs that feature angry youth spouting vulgarity. When done in real life, it’s been known to result in violence.
Movieguide® also reported on the things parents need to think about before letting their children engage with media:
There are three necessary steps in teaching discernment to children:
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- Parents must teach children a Christian worldview and inform them about other worldviews and philosophies in the context of reinforcing Christian Theism.
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- Parents must prepare children to think about and reject the subtle messages of the media.
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- Parents must teach children and model a godly disciplined lifestyle.
The church must battle the prevalent secular mindset and worldview by training students to think and live biblically.
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