Serena Williams doesn’t allow her 7-year-old daughter on “certain” social media platforms. Kim Kardashian got her 8-year-old son to sign a contract.
Williams, the 42-year-old retired tennis ace, has 12-month-old Adira River and 7-year-old Olympia with Reddit founder husband Alexis Ohanian, 41. She wants to ensure her little girl is protected from the “scary” online world and is planning to take things “slow” when it comes to her access to electronics.
“It’s a digital world for kids right now,” Williams told journalist Kara Swisher at the INBOUND conference this week. “I’m always on with my daughter, but we don’t allow her on certain platforms. It’s so interesting that with everything available online and the access that kids have — in a second, you never know what can come to them. I’m trying to think positively. I feel like we might try to take it slow with her and go a little bit slower with electronics, and just let her be a kid for as long as you can.”
When asked by the interviewer if she had any parenting tips, Williams quipped, “Parenting advice? Please give it to me, thank you very much. … Just show up. Wake up. That’s all I do. And I could barely wake up today!”
Williams’ views on safeguarding young people online come after her pal Kardashian revealed she got her young son to sign a strict contract before agreeing to let him have his own YouTube channel.
The 43-year-old reality superstar — who has North, 11, Saint, 8, Chicago, 6, and Psalm, 5, with ex-husband Kanye West — recently saw her second child launch a social media presence.
“Saint signed a solid contract for his YouTube Channel,” Kardashian said as she revealed the handwritten contract on her Instagram Story. “He better not breach.”
The document — which was signed by Saint — acknowledged the youngster “agreed to follow mom’s rules.”
“I am not allowed to comment any personal family information,” the agreement stated. “I am not allowed to film any personal information. I am not allowed to film while North is recording music.”
The contract includes the following stipulations: “I must show my mom or guardian all videos before I post them. I give permission to any grown up if mom says to delete my video for any reason.”
Kardashian obscured the next few sentences, but it then continued, detailing what can happen if Saint breaches the terms.
“If I don’t listen to all of the rules, mom could make my page private or delete my account.” the contract concluded.
