Film stars and real-life parents Adam Sandler and Jennifer Garner admit they are anxious about the dangers social media can pose for young people.
The pair made the comments this weekend during a Toronto International Film Festival press conference to promote their work in writer-director Jason Reitman's latest drama Men, Women & Children, which examines the impact of the Internet on various adolescents and their parents. The film co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer and Ansel Elgort.
"As a parent, it is upsetting to see what can happen and what does happen. Absolutely. The entire movie... As a parent, you realize there is stuff out there that can be painful to everybody and it is right there if you hit a button. It's a rough thing to watch. As a parent, you just pray that you're doing everything you can to make sure your kids and your life and your family, you protect them from going that way," said Sandler, who has two daughters with his wife Jackie.
"It's terrifying as a parent, anyway, to face this whole new world of technology because we as grownups -- Rosemarie and I don't even use this stuff at all," laughed Garner, who has two daughters and a son with her actor-husband Ben Affleck. "So, we are so behind and I have to suddenly get on all of these things before my daughters are wanting to be on Instagram or Facebook or whatever. ... We are just trying to figure it out. Kids already have it all figured out. So, nobody's ahead of it, as far as parenting is concerned. So, yeah, this film is properly horrifying."
Men, Women & Children is set for release in the United States Oct. 3.