Actress Jennifer Garner Says Her Children Aren’t on Social Media: ‘It’s Not Good for Teenagers’

Actress Jennifer Garner, who has three children with her ex-husband Ben Affleck — 17-year-old Violet, 13-year-old Seraphina, and 11-year-old Samuel — says her kids are not on social media and that her oldest child is “grateful” not to be on it.

“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. Find specific evidence that matches what I have that says that it’s not good for teenagers, then we’ll chat,'” Garner told Today.

The star of the upcoming Apple TV+ series, The Last Thing He Told Me, went on to say that Violet appreciates being off from social media. Meanwhile, Seraphina and Samuel are at the age when kids typically start asking their parents if they can create their own social media accounts.

“My eldest is grateful,” she said. “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.”

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Numerous studies have found that social media has a negative impact on young people, causing an increase in depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and even disliking their own bodies.

The China-owned app TikTok has also proven itself dangerous — and times even fatal — for young people, as it encourages kids to participate in trends that are dangerous and life-threatening.

Earlier this year, a 12-year-old girl died after participating in the deadly “choking challenge” popularized on TikTok. The girl’s death was even filmed in a video call while her classmates watched as she attempted the deadly challenge. Last summer, a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old in the UK allegedly died due to attempting the same challenge.

In September, the FDA warned parents of a deadly new TikTok challenge that involves children cooking chicken in NyQuil, “presumably to eat.” Another TikTok challenge in 2020 involved urging users to take large doses of the allergy medication Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to induce hallucinations. The challenge resulted in reports of teens being rushed to the hospital, and in some cases, dying.

Meanwhile, some governments are trying to intervene when it comes to the harm social media has on children.

Last month, Utah became the first state to require social media companies to get parental consent for minors to use their platforms.

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.