Oprah interviews local author Leia Baez about social media and teens
Leia Baez
Leia Baez has manifested a lot in her career as a journalist, speaker and award-winning author, but she didn’t expect to achieve one thing on her vision board: meeting Oprah. That opportunity came as a surprise.
“I didn't think it was real. When I got an email from Harpo Productions, I thought it was a scam,” she said.
Oprah’s producers reached out to Baez seeking her perspective on navigating the difficulties of raising teens in the era of social media. She and her daughter Estella were invited to be interviewed by Oprah on her podcast. It just so happened, shortly after that email, she and her daughter were forced to face the issue head-on as she got a call from school saying Estella was involved in an incident that took place over Snapchat.
Baez said she certainly needed advice, since she thought she was already taking the right steps to shield her daughter from the dark side of social media.
Johnathan Haidt, author of “The Anxious Generation,” provided insight to Baez and other guests on the episode.
“I truly believe it was meant to be, because it was such an amazing learning opportunity, not just for me, but for my daughter, to hear from the experts … she got to learn straight from somebody who's been researching this for years and not from mom telling her she can't do something,” she said. “I think she really took that to heart, because she doesn't even ask for those apps that she had. She's like a completely different kid.”
Baez wrote about her experience on the podcast, sharing the unexpected lessons she learned from the experience. As far as her advice for other parents experiencing similar issues? Take the initiative to monitor children’s phones.
“You don't realize that these kids have so much access at their fingertips, you know?” she said, noting that the red flags aren’t always obvious.
No phones at the dinner table and limiting screen time in general are some of the ways Baez is nurturing a healthier relationship with technology for her and her daughter.
“We as parents have to be more diligent,” she added. “We just have to take that extra step and lead by example.”
As far as achieving her Oprah vision board goal? She said the opportunity was a little “wink from God,” showing that she could achieve her dreams.
Watch Baez’s segment below starting at 28:30.
