How many children does Penelope Cruz have? Actress explains why she doesn't allow her kids to use social media

Actress Penelope Cruz recently shared that she prefers to stay away from the online world and also revealed why she does not allow her children to use social media.

The Parallel Mothers actress is a mother to two children. She shares 10-year-old son Leo and eight-year-old daughter Luna with her husband, actor Javier Bardem.

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Penelope Cruz shares her thoughts on social media

During a recent appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Penelope Cruz shared her thoughts about the effects of social media on younger generations:

"I have a strange relationship with social media where I use very little of it in a very careful way. There is something that is not making sense, and it is especially affecting younger generations. I feel really bad for the ones that are teenagers now. It's almost like if the world was doing some kind of experiment on them. 'Oh, let's see what happens if you expose a 12-year-old to that much technology.'”

The 47-year-old pointed out that there is an absence of protection for young individuals on social media:

"There is no protection for them, for brains that are still developing and how that affects the way they see themselves, how everything related to bullying... so many things that are not the childhood that we had."

Penelope Cruz also revealed that she is strict about using technology and only allows her children to do simple activities online like watching films and cartoons:

"I'm very tough with technology, for example, with my kids. It's like, yeah, we're going to watch movies sometimes or some cartoons. How can I not let them watch movies?”

The actress also mentioned that, in an effort to protect her children's mental health, she won't allow them to have phones or social media accounts until they reach a certain age:

“No phones until they are much older and no social media until at least 16. I really see that that is, like, protecting mental health, but I seem to be part of a minority. I don't know.”

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All about Penelope Cruz’s family and children

Penelope Cruz is a proud mother to two children (Image via NBC/The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon)

Penelope Cruz was born to parents Encarna Sanchez and Eduardo Cruz on April 28, 1974, in Madrid. Her mother was a hairdresser and her father a retailer and car mechanic.

She grew up with her brother, singer Eduardo, and sister, actress Monica Cruz, and reportedly spent a lot of time with her grandmother during her childhood. She also has a paternal half-sister named Salma.

The Gothika star was previously in a relationship with her Vanilla Sky co-star Tom Cruise. The pair parted ways in 2004 after spending three years together. Penelope Cruz is currently married to Javier Bardem.

The pair first met while filming Bigas Luna’s Jamon Jamon but began dating nearly a decade after the film’s release. They were romantically linked after reconnecting on the set of Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

The pair sparked romance rumors in 2007 and officially confirmed their relationship in 2010. They tied the knot that same year in a secret wedding ceremony in the Bahamas. The couple welcomed their first child, son Leo Encinas Cruz, in January 2011 in Los Angeles.

Their second child, daughter Luna Encinas Cruz, was born in July 2013 in Madrid. Penelope Cruz opened up about motherhood and family while speaking to Interview in 2007:

"We infrequently take holidays, because the kids are young and because of our jobs. I try to travel no more than we have to. I’ve only been away from my kids for a day and a half in almost seven years. I've had to do that three times, and I’m hoping it can stay that way. When I’m not working, I’m taking time to be a mother. I can manage in the kitchen."

In the same interview, the All the Pretty Horses actress also shared that she and her husband often travel with their children for work and also take turns in their respective filming schedules. However, both Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem stay out of the public eye and keep their children out of the spotlight.