Helena Christensen says social media is her "biggest concern" as a parent.
Helena Christensen
The 50-year-old supermodel admits she worries about how sites like Twitter and Instagram affect her son Mingus, 19, and she has urged him to never be "affected" by what's said.
She said: "[Social media] is the biggest concern that any parent has. When Mingus was born it was the beginning of the onslaught of the internet. There are so many ways in which a child can be affected. Adults are affected by it: think about how it's shaping a child's mind and brain, and making them feel. One of the biggest responsibilities of parents these days is how to teach their children balance when growing up in a world with social media versus real life, real nature, real experience and being present in the moment. More importantly, [teaching them] how not to be affected by comparisons and bullying. I'm grateful that I started my [modelling] career when social media was not part of it."
However, Helena admits she is addicted to Instagram and uses it as a "visual diary".
She added to the Mail on Sunday's You magazine: "I'm just trying to be as honest and real as possible. The whole social media world is such a peculiar thing for me to comprehend, because it's so far from what humans really are about. I didn't want to be part of it, but was convinced by friends to be on it. For me it's a visual diary that I'll hopefully flick back through when I'm nearing 100 and go, 'Oh, here's a little diary of my life.' Who knows what will be around if I even reach that kind of age, but I like the thought of it. So much in my life is about images. Sometimes I think that I only look at the world in frames."
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