Back in the ’80s, I was an awkward nerd, sporting a mouthful of metallic braces and bangs that I never quite managed to style perfectly, despite my overzealous use of hairspray. Molly Ringwald was the epitome of the cool girl I admired, a big sister figure who seemed both beautiful and relatable. I didn’t have my first kiss until I turned 16, but through her films, I imagined a far more thrilling high school experience, dreaming of my own Jake Ryan.
Fast forward to today, and Molly, now 47, has evolved just like the rest of us. She continues to act, with recent roles including the adaptation of Jem and the Holograms, but she has also carved out a niche as a renowned jazz singer and a writer of both novels and essays. As a mother to three children—Mathilda, 11, and twins Roman and Adele, 5—Molly finds herself grappling with the same parenting challenges as many Gen-Xers, particularly in raising children in a digital age.
Storytelling has been a consistent theme throughout Molly’s life. It’s a passion she likely inherited from her mother, who had a knack for sharing family tales. “So much of my interest in stories and storytelling comes from my mom, because she was a great storyteller,” she recalls. “I’m often the one asking questions and diving into family history. Those stories shape our identities.”
Molly recognizes that how we express ourselves has shifted significantly in 2015. “Platforms like Twitter, with its 140-character limit, change the way we communicate,” she observes. “While it forces brevity, it can also be a good thing.” An active Twitter user, she shares snippets of her life, including her music tours and family moments. Yet, she sometimes longs for a simpler existence, free from the constant pressure to document everything online.
As a mother, Molly is navigating the complexities of social media with her children. “It’s a balancing act,” she says. “I want to share the joy my kids bring me, but I also want to protect their privacy. It’s an ongoing conversation with my husband and me.” Her daughter, Mathilda, has also entered the social media realm. “We talk about it daily,” Molly explains. “Encouraging her to engage in activities beyond the screen is crucial.”
Mathilda recently expressed an insightful observation about social media’s impact on her generation. While listening to music from the Andrews Sisters, she remarked, “Wow, they make war times sound like so much fun,” highlighting how past generations found joy in social interactions. In contrast, Molly worries that her daughter’s generation risks becoming “boring” due to their obsession with phones.
Molly notes, “Social media has transformed adolescence. Kids today see pictures of parties they weren’t invited to, and unlike in our time, they don’t get a break from it when they go home.” She shared an anecdote about Mathilda deleting her Instagram account on her own, expressing a desire to disconnect. “I thought something might be wrong, but she said she felt it was too much,” Molly recalls, laughing at the familiar struggle of youth in a digital world. “I’m sure her Instagram will be back soon enough.”
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In summary, Molly Ringwald embodies the journey of a Gen-X parent, facing modern parenting dilemmas with a relatable blend of nostalgia and contemporary challenges.