Jennifer Garner has banned all her kids from using social media and her eldest is grateful

Juno and 13 Going On 30 actor Jennifer Garner has said her eldest child is 'grateful' that her mum has banned her from using social media.

I'm fully aware that I'm going to sound ancient by saying this, but I'm very glad I spent much of my childhood without social media.

I dread to think about all the dance routines and dares that might have ended up on TikTok if it was available at the time, so I think any move to prevent younger generations from suffering such a fate is a good one.

Garner is among the parents who have cracked down on their kids using social media, though as a mum to three children all in or nearing their teenage years, I can't imagine it was the smoothest rule to implement.

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The actor spoke with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb about her children, who she shares with ex-husband Ben Affleck, during an appearance on TODAY to promote her upcoming Apple TV+ series The Last Thing He Told Me - in which she plays the stepmother of a teenager.

Violet is the eldest of Affleck and Garner's children at 17-years-old, followed by Seraphina at 13 and son Samuel, who is 11.

On the topic of social media, Garner explained that she presented her children with a challenge to determine whether they should be allowed to use it or not.

"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."

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Existing studies indicate social media can have a negative impact in mental health, potentially causing depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

As the children as two A-listers, Garner's children would likely also have to deal with having more eyes on them than the average child.

Though banning them from social media entirely is a big move, Garner revealed that her eldest child, Violet, appreciates the decision.

"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."

Garner and Affleck got divorced in 2018 after more than a decade of marriage. They first met in 2000 on the set of the film Pearl Harbour, when Garner was married to actor Scott Foley.