Lauren Cowell, partner of Simon Cowell, shares her primary concern in raising their 12-year-old son Eric, born in 2014: the risks posed by social media.
Snapchat Discovery Sparks Alarm
Social media represents a persistent worry for both Lauren and Simon. This fear intensified recently when Eric downloaded Snapchat on her phone while using it to play music in the car. “He would always take my phone to put music on in the car, and obviously, I’m driving, so I can’t look at what he’s doing. I knew nothing about it, and how it actually worked,” Lauren explains.
“Social media has been something that has been a nagging fear for both Simon and me for a long time. It’s why we held off before giving Eric a phone.”
Strict Phone Restrictions in Place
Lauren promptly removed the app from her device. Eric now has his own phone, limited strictly to texting and WhatsApp for communicating with friends. “We’ve gotten Eric a phone, but there is no social media on it. He’s not allowed on any apps, on any social media. He doesn’t have Snapchat. I’ve now removed everything, so he literally can text and WhatsApp his friends.”
Advocacy for Age Limits
In response, Lauren joins the Raise the Age campaign with bereaved families pushing for a law raising the minimum social media age to 16, mirroring Australia’s recent policy. “This really shouldn’t even be a political discussion… it should absolutely be a discussion of what is in the best interest and the safety and protection of children, full stop,” she asserts.
She directly urges Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I would say this directly to members of parliament and to Keir Starmer, I’d like to urge him as a father to do the right thing.”
Family Name Change
Lauren recently adopted the Cowell surname, aligning with their family unit. The couple remains engaged, with marriage plans in place. “We’re engaged, so the plan is that we’ll get married eventually, but changing the name wasn’t a big, dramatic thing. We both felt it was time; it’s really about the unit of our family. I just didn’t feel as though I wanted to keep my ex-husband’s last name any more. I would love to get married one day, but I’m not focused on that piece of paper.”
