Kelly Clarkson Says Kids Will Never Have Social Media ‘Under My Roof’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Having spent much of her life as a public figure, Kelly Clarkson has decided to protect her children from public scrutiny by restricting them from social media until they are adults.
“[Social media] can be really hard on kids in general but especially kids with parents in the public eye,” Clarkson told PEOPLE. “So I have informed them they’re not allowed to, under my roof, ever have [it].”
However, keeping her kids off social media might not be that simple. Clarkson shares her two kids, River Rose and Remington Alexander, with her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Their contentious divorce was finalized in 2022 after two long years, and they’ve found it difficult to parent after their split.
“There’s so much emotion and trauma involved,” Clarkson said. “It’s hard enough when you’re married and you come from two different backgrounds and ways to discipline and educate. Doing that in different households can be tough.”
However, for now, Clarkson and Blackstock are united regarding social media.
“My daughter was like, ‘Well, what if Dad lets me?’ I’m like, ‘Well, you’re there four days a month. Enjoy that.’ And right now he’s not letting them do it either,” Clarkson explained. “I’ll listen when they’re older, but until they have a solid argument, it’s a no.”
Clarkson and Blackstock are not alone when it comes to celebrities protecting their children from public scrutiny by keeping them away from social media. Last year, several public figures – including Pink and Jennifer Garner – explained that they will keep their kids off social media until they are adults.
HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier took this a step further and created a nonprofit – Osprey – to encourage families who are committed to keeping their kids off social media and technology in general through high school.
This movement will likely continue to grow as more research comes out revealing the negative side effects of using social media at a young age.
Movieguide® previously reported:
HOME TOWN couple Erin and Ben Napier have been very open about their stance on social media for their two girls. Now, the two have launched a new nonprofit organization, Osprey, that is dedicated to helping other parents keep their children off social media.
In an Instagram post initiating the new organization, Erin Napier wrote, “My friends parenting smart phone-free middle schoolers have had a brutal experience of seeing their child left out, even though research tells us social media is as addictive and destructive for developing brains as any drug.”
She continued, “This made me think: my kindergartener doesn’t expect to drive a car before she’s old enough. She doesn’t expect to own a house of her own before she’s old enough. If we build a culture in our home and school now where she doesn’t expect access to the entire world in her pocket until she’s much older, we can set her up for success. When the time comes, a simple phone that can just call and text will be great: in the same way she’ll ride a bicycle before she drives a car.”
