Insights from Celebrity Parents on Implementing Tech Boundaries for Children
Discover how Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and other celebrity parents enforce strict cell phone rules for their children Get the details on how these famous moms and dads navigate the challenges of raising tech-savvy kids
Celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Pink are finding ways to set boundaries on their children's screen time. Nicole Kidman explained in a Vanity Fair interview from April 2019 that her daughters with Keith Urban, Sunday and Faith, do not have phones and are not allowed to have Instagram accounts.
Pink, who shares two children with husband Carey Hart, revealed on the Today show that her kids are not permitted to have cell phones. Pink stated, "There’s a light side and a shadow side to technology for adults, as well as kids. For kids, I’m not there yet. I have a 10-year-old who does not have a phone, although she pointed out to me yesterday: ‘You know most of the kids in my class, fifth grade, have a phone.’ That doesn’t move my needle. I don’t care."
Penelope Cruz feels the same way while raising her and husband Javier Bardem‘s son, Leo, and daughter, Luna.
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"I truly believe that mental health is a major concern, but I fear that my views are not shared by many," Cruz expressed in a December 2021 interview with CBS Sunday Morning. "I sympathize with today's teenagers. It's almost as if they are being used as guinea pigs in a technology experiment. It's disheartening to think about the impact of excessive technology exposure on 12-year-olds."
Keep scrolling to read more celeb parents’ opinions on raising their kids with or without technology:
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Celebrity Parents Explain Their Strict Technology Rules for Kids
Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Pink are actively working to reduce the amount of time their children spend in front of screens. Kidman, in an interview with Vanity Fair in April 2019, explained that her daughters are not allowed to have a phone or Instagram account.
Pink, who has a daughter named Willow and a son named Jameson with her husband Carey Hart, disclosed to the hosts of the Today show the following year that her children are not permitted to have a cell phone. She explained that she sees both positive and negative aspects of technology for adults, and she is not ready to introduce it to her kids. Pink clarified that her 10-year-old daughter does not have a phone, despite the fact that she noted that most of her classmates in fifth grade already have one. However, Pink stated that this did not impact her decision and she remained firm in her stance.
Penelope Cruz shares the same sentiment when it comes to raising her son, Leo, and daughter, Luna, with husband Javier Bardem.
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in December 2021, Cruz expressed her concern for the mental health of teenagers today, feeling that she is in the minority in her beliefs. She lamented that the current generation of teenagers almost feels like they are part of an experiment, being exposed to an overwhelming amount of technology at such a young age.
Keep scrolling to read more celeb parents’ opinions on raising their kids with or without technology:
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Julia Roberts
According to the actress, she and her husband Danny Moder have established strict phone rules for their twins Hazel and Finn (born in 2004) and son Henry (born in 2007). "We have simple rules, like having a charging station for everyone's phone when we get home," said Roberts during an interview with Today in December 2023. "We also make sure that there are no phones at the table, for sure."
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Pink
"We can't be dinosaurs ourselves as parents," the "Just Give Me a Reason" singer noted during her Today show appearance. "We have to sort of embrace it and go with it."
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Nicole Kidman
"They don’t have a phone and I don’t allow them to have an Instagram," the Nine Perfect Strangers alum told Vanity Fair.
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Penelope Cruz
The actress' little ones can have phones when "they are much older," she explained, noting, "No social media until at least 16.”
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Madonna
"I regret giving my older children phones at the age of 13," the musician revealed to Vogue in May 2019. “It significantly affected my relationship with [them]. It didn't sever the connection entirely, but it definitely became a dominant aspect of their lives.”
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Angelina Jolie
The Salt star's six kids "forbade" her to touch their cell phones, she told Time in December 2020.
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Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon revealed on his show in October 2021 that Mariah Carey was upset when he bought their 10-year-old twins cell phones, jokingly asking for forgiveness from his ex-wife.
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Bill Gates
The software developer mentioned in a May 2017 interview with Mirror that his children were not allowed to have cell phones until they turned 14. He also stated, "We often establish a cut-off time for screen usage. This helps them maintain a healthy sleep schedule."
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Jennifer Lopez
"Their iPads and video games are off-limits during the week to focus on school," the Maid in Manhattan star explained to E! News in 2015 about her twins Emme and Maximilian. "They need to excel in school in order to earn Sunday Funday. It's a system I created to encourage good behavior and hard work."
