Drew Barrymore Applauded For Vulnerable IG Post; 'Phone Home'

Drew Barrymore let her vulnerable mom side show in her most recent Instagram post. And it grabbed tons of positive attention!

The talk show host and actress took to social media to share some comparisons to her childhood and her children's and explained exactly why she feels they don't need cell phones at their ages. The lengthy post has many of her followers applauding her for speaking up about the topic of kids and cell phones.

Barrymore let her vulnerability show as she shared a glimpse into her childhood to explain how her children's childhood differs.

"I am writing (in a very vulnerable way) to put myself out there as a parent. And well, it's personal for me. I wished many times when I was a kid that someone would tell me no. I wanted so badly to rebel all the time, and it was because I had no guardrail. I had too much access and excess, and eventually, 'no' actually became a challenge," she wrote in her Instagram post.

"I would not accept it because I had so much autonomy at a young age that I simply couldn't accept authority of any kind, and I ended up in an institution for two years. It was a blessing."

Barrymore called this a "hard-core style of a reset" that made her "appreciate everything."

Barrymore's next Instagram slide explained that she has two daughters, 10 and 12, and talked about how protective she is of children.

"And I wonder if my life's experience was a butterfly net to capture the understanding of what young girls need," she continued. "Is it my karma?"

Her post went on to explain that she wants to be more "protective of kids in general" based on her own childhood experiences. The former child actress said that while she will "never poo-poo" her life because of the "doors and windows" that were opened for her, she also "never thought in my wildest dreams that kids would be in my boat of too much excess and access."

The carousel of photos sharing Barrymore's story and thoughts on kids having cell phones continued by talking about living in a world  that's "modern" and "fast-moving."

"I have wanted to create a coalition in the model of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), where they knew they could not get alcohol off the streets but could lessen fatalities. I have waited to speak out, because in doing research in my own home, school with my daughters' friends and families, there is nowhere to turn that has guardrails against tech. Our smart TVs can get you to YouTube and TikTok. Our school and many others are on technological platforms that you need the internet to engage with. My kids' friends come over with their smartphones," Barrymore continued.

"And so, I found myself researching dumb phones. And I see an opportunity. A device you make that all us parents who want to come together on and work with schools and design something that has so many of the amazing aspects of artistic and inspiring innovations without the pitfalls of social media."

A few slides later, deeper into her thoughts, Barrymore said she's trying to "move forward in different ways."

"I have worked with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on how to move forward in different ways. And with the announcement about warning labels on social media he created, that's a start, too," she wrote.

As the 14-slide carousel continued, Barrymore revealed that she gave in and allowed her older daughter to get a cell phone.

"As we look around, everyone has a device in their hands as if it is an appendage. And the call was coming from inside my house. I, too, felt pressure from my own daughter to get one," she said. "All her friends had one, the age-old phenomenon all parents face: the comparison argument. And so on her 11th birthday, she got a phone, only to be used on weekends and for a limited time with no social media."

Barrymore said that after three months, she "gathered the data of the texts and the behavior" and was "shocked by the results."

"Life depended on the phone. Happiness was embedded in it. Life source came from this mini digital box. Moods were dependent on the device. And so, missing the human I knew in my daughter and wanting to put a stop to these high-stakes emotions that were flying around, I printed out every single text onto paper. I handed her a stack of pages and said this is not a black void that these travel to. They're permanent somewhere where we don't see it, so we don't believe in its retraceable and damning nature if we fail digitally to act with decency," she explained.

"I made sure she knew that she was a good person and that this was no punishment on her character."

Barrymore revealed that she was "not ready either to allow my kids to have a 'phone.'"

Barrymore concluded her post by writing, "I am going to become the parent I needed. The adult I needed." Her post quickly grabbed tons of attention from parents who applauded her for sharing her thoughts and childhood story.

"Wow so profound, on point & beautifully articulated! Yes to all you expressed! I’m 100% on board with being a part of the solution! My kids are 7 & 10yrs old and like you find this a challenging road. The deep social, emotional implications that run deep, that can not initially be seen on the surface, will & does impact humankind!" one person wrote.

Another said, "Thank you for this reflection, it eased my mother’s heart as I always think about this issue. So many doubts about how to protect children in today’s world."

More than 1,000 comments were shared in a short period of time, with most thanking Barrymore for speaking up about the topic.

"Thank you. We love you. You are all the good stuff us kid actors were supposed to be made of. Thank you for paving the way out of the destruction. Turning it back on to our kids to guide them differently," one follower shared.

Another added, "Such wise words Drew. Our responsibility to our children is to be their guardrails and act as the logic and reasoning when they cannot. Giving them access to the internet and devices where they can see things they cannot unsee does the opposite of this. Proud of you to speak on this subject. Preserving the parent-child relationship in these teen years is so important and we need to talk more about this."