Kelly Clarkson Explains Why She ‘Can’t Stand Social Media’

Social media is pretty much inescapable in today’s day and age, and Kelly Clarkson isn’t exactly a fan of that prevalence.

The Voice coach was featured in this year’s PEOPLE‘s The Beautiful Issue and explained the reason she isn’t the biggest fan of social media.

“I am one of those people that can’t stand social media, sorry world,” she said. “I just feel like it’s vanity run amok, and I also feel like sometimes [with] kids our oldest daughter’s age, around 16, it’s like nothing is real unless it’s been validated on Instagram or liked. And I’m like, ‘What? That’s ridiculous.’ “

“I try and teach them I don’t need somebody to tell me that,” Clarkson added. “I think I’m awesome, I think I’m doing all right and I love myself for me, and that’s a really hard thing to teach this next generation because of social media.”

Clarkson is mom to daughter River, three, and son Remington, two, with husband Brandon Blackstock. She is also stepmom to Seth, 11, and Savannah, 16, Blackstock’s children from a previous relationship.

The singer shared that she feels worrying about getting a certain number of likes “creates so much anxiety” for kids and teens and that she doesn’t want her children to deal with that pressure.

While her older kids might be using social media, her younger ones are still phone-free and are developing personalities of their own.

“I love that [River] is very bold, and she’s progressive for three,” the “Love So Soft” Clarkson said. “She watches Jurassic Park and loves it, and Harry Potter … it doesn’t affect her and she’s just very grown up and very boss.”

Clarkson noted that while she wants River to grow up to have a strong personality, she doesn’t want her to be off-putting to others.

“I don’t want my daughter to be a pushover when she’s older. So that’s an awesome thing, it’s an awesome aspect of her character,” she said. “At the same time, you also want to have an adult that doesn’t think they’re right all the time. But toddlers are just so egocentric and it’s just a stage that some people don’t grow out of, let’s be real. But mine will.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Rob Kim