Jessica Simpson opens up about editing social media photos, impact on her kids

Simpson said she thinks twice now about using filters on the photos she posts.

July 12, 2023, 8:28 AM

Jessica Simpson is opening up about her social media use and how it has negatively affected her life and impacted how she parents her children.

In a new interview with Bustle, the singer said writing her memoir, "Open Book," which was published in 2020, made her reconsider how and what she shared with fans and followers on social media.

PHOTO: Jessica Simpson attends Create & Cultivate event in Los Angeles, Feb. 22, 2020.
Jessica Simpson attends Create & Cultivate event in Los Angeles, Feb. 22, 2020.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images, FILE

Simpson said when she goes to use a filter on a photo before posting now, she asks herself, "What is that doing to my daughter?"

"What we're doing on social media is creating this idea of what is beautiful and setting up our lives artificially -- to look good for who?" Simpson reflected to Bustle.

"GMA" parenting expert and contributor Rachel Simmons said, "Social media has a habit of making many of us feel like we're not good enough as we are and when our children see us modifying our own appearance or feeling as if we are less than when we engage on social media, that gives them a way of thinking about technology that says to them, maybe you're not good enough as you are, either."

Simpson was just 19 years old when she first ascended the Billboard Hot 100 chart with her 1999 debut single, "I Wanna Love You Forever."

She's been in the spotlight since then and has always been open about her life, appearing on reality TV and sharing her ups and downs publicly.

Today, Simpson said she thinks it's important for her children to see what's real and for her to model a healthier relationship with social media.

"If they don't see me following my dreams and fighting for what I believe in -- and fighting for who I am and my place in this world -- they'll never do it for themselves. And they'll just be on Instagram thinking that's what's perfect. It's not," Simpson told Bustle.

To build a better foundation for kids and their use of social media, Simmons recommended parents talk to kids about the impact of social media apps and discuss setting limits on how they use apps that alter their appearance.