In an emotional and candid moment on Today with Hoda & Jenna, Jenna Bush Hager, known for her warmth and openness, revealed a struggle that many parents can relate to—the irresistible pull of social media and the way it has impacted her ability to be fully present with her children.
The 42-year-old mother of three opened up about her decision to delete Instagram from her phone, describing the app as a “numbing” addiction that was keeping her away from the most important people in her life: her kids.
Jenna, who shares three children—Mila, 11, Poppy, nine, and Hal, five—with husband Henry Hager, didn’t hold back as she discussed how she’s found herself lost in the endless scroll, a habit that has become all too familiar in today’s digital age.
She admitted that her attachment to her phone has often distracted her from being the present and engaged mother she strives to be.
“This is the thing that I think distracts me, but probably others, from getting in flow.... I bet you can guess it,” Jenna said to her co-host Hoda Kotb during the episode. In perfect unison, the duo answered, “Staring down!”
Jenna went on to explain, “Staring at your phone. Sometimes when I feel like something’s off, if I really am honest with myself, it’s because I have been spending too much time [on it]...,” to which Hoda, 60, responded, “I feel like I’ve been doing that lately, actually.”
The conversation quickly turned to how Jenna plans to break free from what she described as an “addicting” habit.
Following in the footsteps of her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, who recently took the plunge and removed Instagram from her phone, Jenna is ready to take similar action in an effort to reconnect with her life offline.
“This is what I have to do to get off of it... I have to have somebody else change my password because it’s addicting,” Jenna confessed. She then shared that Barbara, who made the switch a while ago, has noticed a significant positive change in her life since cutting down her screen time.
“[Barbara] gets it off and she goes, ‘I haven’t had it on my phone and I feel like a present mother, I feel like I have been looking up, walking around, and running into friends, things that make you happy, happen.’ And she goes, ‘and I don’t miss anything, all the things it gave me actually made me feel less joy,’” Jenna revealed, adding, “so I’m gonna take it off today!”
For Jenna, the realization that Instagram was distancing her from her kids came as a wake-up call. It wasn’t just about mindlessly scrolling; it was about the numbing effect that social media can have, dulling the vibrant, real-life moments that truly matter. “Numbing!” Jenna exclaimed during the discussion, emphasizing how easily one can lose track of time and connection while engrossed in their phone.
Hoda, who is also a mother, related to Jenna’s concerns and shared her own efforts to be more mindful and present, especially after work. “I walked home from here through Central Park and as I was walking I took deliberate steps. I slowed it all down, instead of like walking to get somewhere, I kept going, ‘one step, one step, one step,’” Hoda explained. “I felt like I got home in five seconds, it was the weirdest thing. I slowed it down because I read a book about walking slow, so I tried it. I observed, I saw, it was a great walk home.”
Jenna agreed wholeheartedly, pointing out that had Hoda been distracted by her phone, she wouldn’t have had the same enriching experience. “Here’s the thing, had you been looking or even maybe listening to a podcast or music, which is what we always do, but had you not been just really present, you wouldn’t have been in the flow,” Jenna remarked.