Snapchat Co-founder Evan Spiegel limits stepson's screen time

Evan Spiegel

While many parents blame Snapchat for keeping their kids engaged on phones for a very long time, the popular messaging app's Co-founder Evan Spiegel limits screen time for his seven-year-old stepchild, the media reported.

The 28-year-old billionaire, who is the CEO of Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc. allows his stepson, Flynn, 90 minutes of screen time a week, The Sunday Times reported.

Flynn is the son of Spiegel's wife, the Australian model Miranda Kerr, from her marriage to the actor Orlando Bloom.

Spiegel, who is credited with making selfie mainstream and building himself a $1.4 billion fortune at the same time, is not alone in limiting screen time for kids at home.

Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs never let his kids use iPads at home. "We limit how much technology our kids use at home," Jobs had told The New York Times.

Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist Bill Gates, in an interview to the Mirror last year, said he has set strict rules for how his three kids grew up "in a home that forbade cell phones until age 14, banned cell-phone use at the dinner table, and set limits on how close to bedtime kids could use their phones".

Research has found that excessive use of social media including Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram is associated with poor well-being which could lead to depression and loneliness.

A study, published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, showed that limiting screen time on these apps could boost one's wellness.

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