Chip and Joanna Gaines, the famous stars of the reality show “Fixer Upper”, have set a rule for their five children when it comes to social media and smartphones.
In an interview with Today, the celebrity couple not only shared home design tips but also celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary. They discussed their latest season of “Fixer Upper”, titled “The Lakehouse”, and talked about how their show began, as well as sharing insights into their marriage and family life.
Host Jenna Bush Hager then turned the conversation to a topic relevant to all parents: children’s phone and social media safety. She asked the 49-year-old and 46-year-old Gaines couple how they navigate this challenging area as parents.
“Our household rule is that you can’t use social media until the summer of the year before you go to college. So we set an age limit: 18,” Gaines said on the May 29 program.
The couple admitted that getting their kids to disconnect offline is not easy. They mentioned that the age restriction gives them “time” to help their children figure out how to use social media in a way that does not waste their lives.
Gaines mentioned that the risks of using social media before that age are too great, especially for their daughters who are still teenagers. “At that age, many things can have a significant impact mentally,” the mother of five said.
Bush Hager shared that she asked her daughter to find research and statistics on how social media can benefit the brain. “Those statistics don’t exist,” she said.
As parents, the Gaines couple acknowledged that keeping their children away from social media is very challenging, especially when all their friends are involved in it.
“It’s a challenge,” Gaines said, adding that the kids “want it before that age limit.”
Mrs. Gaines revealed that last year requests from the children for phones and social media were relatively fewer.
“I think they understand our intent, it’s not easy,” she said, noting that the kids may feel a disconnect with friends who are active on social media.
“For us,” Gaines said, “it’s like saying, you have other great things. Our way of life is somewhat different. We value this greatly.”
Mr. Gaines emphasized the reason for helping their children stay away from social media before leaving home.
“In fact, for children, early exposure to social media doesn’t bring about better results. Later exposure would be better, and perhaps never exposing them to it would be the best,” he told the host.