Matthew McConaughey is one of the most well-known actors on the planet – but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still a strict parent!
The ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ actor recently spoke about a candid conversation he’d had with his teenage son regarding social media.
So far, McConaughey has been pretty open about his one strict rule – none of his children are allowed to have social media, mainly because he doesn’t want them to use it irresponsibly.
The Texan native – who shares his son Levi with wife Camila Alves – explained how he’d finally made a the decision to allow Levi to venture into the realm of social media as he celebrated his 15th birthday, after nearly two years of discussions.
In an interview with ‘Today,’ McConaughey shared his approach to this crucial conversation, saying: “Let’s talk about what it is. Let’s talk about the upfalls. Let’s talk about the downfalls. Let’s talk about the assets. Let’s talk about the traps.”
He added: “Let’s talk about what you wanna tell. What’s your story? Because what happens a lot of times with young people and social media is they wake up in the morning and the first thing on their mind is, ‘What will be a good post?’ Instead of, ‘What do I want to do today.'”
McConaughey’s perspective revolves around encouraging young people to focus more on real-life experiences, rather than what they can post on social media. At the same time, he acknowledged that Levi’s journey into the world of social media will be a gradual process… Because, at the end of the day, he’s still a strict parent at heart!
“We’re still taking baby steps into, you know, how much he’s immediately in touch with it. What he’s exporting,” McConaughey told ‘Today’ hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. “And we’re going through, we’re measuring, we’re discussing things.”
McConaughey explained that he spent time with Levi looking at the posts of people he admired, asking him why he found certain content interesting, and asking about the significance of those posts.
“And we’re going through, we’re measuring, we’re discussing things. We had him look at a lot of other people that he looked up to, their post. We talked, ‘Why do you like those?’ And then you saw certain people that had maybe more hits, and you go, ‘But why did they?’
“Were they relevant for the right reasons?” McConaughey said he asked his son. “Were they relevant for reasons that actually spoke to being more of themselves, rather than acting like somebody else? … The discussion is ongoing.”
McConaughey was aware the young people face a lot of societal pressure these days, with the actor revealing that his daughter had asked whether she needed to become a professional volleyball player at the age of 13.
“Try things out. Forgive yourself, forgive others. You could mess up today and make it right tomorrow,” McConaughey stated.
What a thoughtful and caring parent Matthew McConaughey is! What do you think of the strict rules he has for his kids? Let us know in the comments!
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