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American singer and actress, Madonna, has revealed that her children’s obsession with phones has caused significant damage to their relationship…

Madonna has spoken out about her strained relationship with her children, blaming their obsession with screens. The popular singer and actress says that she regrets giving her two oldest children, Lourdes and Rocco, phones and is resisting giving her younger three children devices as a result.

Creating A Barrier

Speaking to British Vogue, Madonna said that technology has caused irreparable damage to her relationship with her children. “I made a mistake when I gave my older children phones when they were 13,” she said. “It ended my relationship with them, really. Not completely but it became a very, very big part of their lives.”

Madonna says that the impact of technology on her children was immediately obvious. “They became too inundated with imagery and started to compare themselves to other people and that’s really bad for self-growth.” The star has also been forced to admit that her own status as a global pop legend could be to blame. “I feel social media plagues (Lourdes) and makes her feel like ‘people are going to give me things because I’m her daughter'” Madonna said.

Not Alone

It seems Madonna is not alone, with a growing number of celebrities attempting to protect their children from the world of social media. Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife made the extraordinary decision to raise their kids tech-free, Kate Winslet won’t let her children use social media and Julia Roberts has encouraged families to spend time together without screens. “When you are distracted into or by the device, then your attention is divided,” a study from the University of Arizona states. “More research is needed to fully understand the impact that virtual connections may have on our real-world relationships.”

Ask any parent about the challenges of communicating with their children, especially when they are on their phones, and you can definitely see how it could damage relationships. Maybe Madonna is on to something…

What age do you think children should be given a mobile phone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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  • ah but the fatal mistake is to just give a kid a phone at 13 years of age and not have rules put in place regarding its hours of use.

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  • An important flag for parents of kids who don’t yet have phones!

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  • Definitely depends on the circumstances and the need for mobile contact due to work or distance etc.

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  • I don’t want my daughter having one too early on.

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  • We never bought our sons mobile phones or laptops. The only technological thing we bought them was a game that attached to our tv and we made it a family thing. I hate it when people ask to meet for lunch or a cuppa and spend the whole time chatting on their phone. My rule is if I go somewhere I take my phone with me but will only answer if it is urgent.

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  • I think we’re all still learning about technology and the negative influence it’s having on our children in so many ways – physical, mental, social skills, etc. Sadly, it’s only now that research can start to show the damage that’s being done. I’m sad that my son has lived through it at it’s peak. We set boundaries and guidelines that were not matched by anyone else in our community and our struggle was to fight that daily. I’m sad for the kids that follow and what it will do to their lives.

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  • Yep, too much technology is a detriment to our children. My 14yo doesn’t have a phone. All my four kids do have an iPad, but only because they needed it for school from grade 4. Gotta admit it, I hate the iPad.

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  • we have time limits, that way my son can play it, but also must achieve certain goals when he is on it, or he must stay off it longer

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  • The later the better in my opinion. And Madonna’s adopted children are now in their teens – every mother of teenage children will have problems and the mobile phone era has compounded what once used to happen. If you have been a good mum raising the children in the first place, they will come round and love you to bits once they have passed their teens.

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  • All all depends on the children and circumstances, I don’t think my kids will need or get phones until 14/15

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  • My eldest 2 got their mobile phones when they went to high school. This choice had every thing to do with finding their way home after school and being able to text me.
    I myself never had a mobile phone until I met my husband at age 38yrs and survived perfectly without !! But then times have changed and it’s not as safe anymore on the streets.


    • Ha! Ha! You are like me, Ellen. I had my first mobile in 2007. I was 41 years old. And my daughter got also her mobile when she started high school because she goes to school far from where we live and having a phone allowed us to keep in contact.

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  • yup phones are not the best at times for kids

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  • It’s harsh but also true. I can understand it

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  • Some celebratories have a Nanny/Tutor that travel with them so they can spend more time their Mother / Parents. They are taught equivalent to home school. Some sports professionals do that too.
    Some parents confiscate electronic devices when the sit down for their evening meal and don’t get them back that night. Some parents also have a way of blocking the use of phones during times they choose – not the child.
    I know one child who was given a mobile phone for emergencies only. She can call or text only a couple of numbers in emergencies and receive only calls or texts from those same numbers. The rest of the phone is completely blocked

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  • I’d love to hold out till 16 or even 18, but I’m not sure it will be possible.

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