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Madonna says giving phones to older children ‘ended her relationship with them’

‘They became too inundated with imagery’

Sabrina Barr
Monday 06 May 2019 17:17 BST
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Madonna announces new album Madame X

Madonna has said giving phones to her two eldest children had a hugely negative impact on her relationship with them.

Despite having given 22-year-old Lourdes and 18-year-old Rocco phones when they were in their early teens, Madonna does not plan on doing the same for her 13-year-old son David.

"I'm going to stick that one out for as long as possible, because I made a mistake when I gave my older children phones when they were 13," the Madame X star told Vogue.

"It ended my relationship with them, really."

The singer has five children, ranging in age from six to 22 years old.

Madonna explained that Lourdes and Rocco's phones became a "very, very big part of their lives", largely due to the growth of social media.

"They became too inundated with imagery and started to compare themselves to other people, and that's really bad for self-growth," the multi Grammy Award-winner said.

Of all her children, Madonna believes David is the most similar to her in terms of his "focus and determination".

"I'm pretty sure he got it from me. He's the one I have the most in common with," she stated.

As for her eldest child Lourdes, whose father is actor Carlos Leon, Madonna is jealous of her "insane" talent.

"I'm green with envy because she's incredible at everything she does – she's an incredible dancer, she's a great actress, she plays the piano beautifully, she's way better than me in the talent department."

During a recent interview with MTV, Madonna revealed becoming a "soccer mum" while living in Portugal made her feel "depressed".

The musician explained that she wasn't suited to the lifestyle change, saying she found herself with "no mates".

According to a report published by Ofcom in January, a growing number of children under the age of 11 are using social media.

Despite the fact that most social networks do not allow children under the age of 13 to register, 18 per cent of eight to 11 year olds were found to have created online profiles.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) recently called for clinicians to consider the impact social media can have on the mental health of children.

“Although we recognise that social media and technology are not primary drivers of mental illness in young people, we know that they are an important part of their lives and can be harmful in some situations," said Dr Bernadka Dubicka, chair of the child and adolescent faculty at RCP.

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