By admin 
Mandy Moore, the beloved actress and singer, has revealed her ingenious strategy for keeping her young children entertained and educated during travel: a carefully curated tablet experience featuring the ABCmouse early learning app. In a candid interview, Moore, mother to sons Gus, 5, and Ozzie, 3, and daughter Lou, 2, with her musician husband Taylor Goldsmith, shared her approach to managing screen time, emphasizing its educational benefits over passive entertainment.
"I was just on a trip with my kids where there are really no rules," Moore explained, painting a picture of a typical, sometimes chaotic, family journey. "It’s like you could eat everything you want on the plane and have as much screen time as you want. Let’s just get from point A to point B as easily as possible." However, her definition of "easy" is far from an abdication of parental responsibility. Instead, she leverages technology as a tool for enrichment. "I think the entire two-hour flight home, both boys were doing ABCmouse," she shared, a sense of relief evident in her voice. "I feel safe sitting next to them. Like I don’t have to hover. I know they’re not going to go down some rabbit hole."
The ABCmouse app, designed for children aged 2-8, offers a comprehensive curriculum covering reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. This educational focus is precisely what appeals to Moore, who sees it as a valuable supplement to her children’s learning. "It’s fun to see them look up after each level and be like, ‘I love this. I feel smart. I can do this.’ It’s very sweet," she said, highlighting the positive reinforcement and sense of accomplishment the app fosters in her children. This approach aligns with a growing trend among parents who are seeking to integrate educational content into their children’s digital lives, transforming passive screen time into an active learning opportunity. Research from organizations like Common Sense Media consistently shows that age-appropriate, educational apps can significantly contribute to early literacy and cognitive development, a sentiment that Moore’s personal experience powerfully illustrates.
Beyond her children’s screen time habits, Moore also touched upon her own relationship with digital devices, admitting to a struggle with self-control. "I don’t have any self-control when it comes to like limiting my digital time on my phone, so I’m a big fan of the Brick," she confessed, referring to popular app-blocking tools designed to help users regain control over their digital consumption. This admission resonates with the broader societal challenge of digital addiction and the constant battle for attention in an increasingly connected world. "Other than that, I love the convenience of everything the phone offers us and whatnot. But it also is really easy to get sucked into just life solely existing there. I am happy to try to find that delicate dance and balance."
Her candidness extended to her susceptibility to impulse purchases driven by targeted advertising. Moore humorously recounted instances where she’s found herself surprised by items delivered to her doorstep, realizing she’d ordered them through Instagram. "I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, I ordered those weird packing cubes that you can suck all the air out of,’" she admitted with a laugh. "I’m like, ‘I don’t really need these, but I guess I’ll use them now.’ I’m definitely one to fall victim to getting targeted on Instagram." This personal anecdote serves as a relatable example of the powerful influence of social media marketing and the challenges consumers face in resisting persuasive online advertising. Studies by marketing research firms have consistently shown that social media platforms, through sophisticated algorithms, can effectively target user demographics and interests, leading to increased impulse buying behavior.
Shifting gears to her professional life, Moore is eagerly anticipating the premiere of "The Land," a new Hulu series that reunites her with Dan Fogelman, the creative force behind the critically acclaimed drama "This Is Us." The series promises a compelling blend of sports and family dynamics, with Moore taking on a pivotal role. "If you love football, if you love family drama, it’s like ‘Friday Night Lights’ and ‘Succession’ all kind of rolled into one," she enthused, drawing comparisons to beloved and successful television programs to set expectations.
In "The Land," Moore portrays a daughter of an NFL team owner, a character locked in a fierce battle for inheritance and power. The show also features a star-studded cast, including Christopher Meloni, William H. Macy, Chloe Bennet, and Chace Crawford. Moore’s character is described as someone who will "stop at nothing to inherit the top job one day," suggesting a complex and potentially ruthless individual driven by ambition.
Her preparation for the role involved immersing herself in the world of professional football, a sport she admitted to not being a major fan of prior to the series. "We definitely all did crash courses," she stated. "I still feel like I have so much to learn. I had some fantastic meetings with some incredible women that are in similar roles at different organizations at the NFL. I’ve been able to pick their brains a little bit." She even drew a humorous parallel to the cultural phenomenon surrounding Taylor Swift’s relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce, saying, "I joked I felt like Taylor Swift, where I was like, ‘Oh, I got to learn all about this.’ I mean, it’s different when your boyfriend-slash-husband is like a player, but I truly knew nothing." This self-deprecating humor underscores her dedication to authentically embodying her character and the show’s exploration of power dynamics within the male-dominated sports industry.
The series’ filming location in Los Angeles also brought a sense of gratitude for Moore. "Nothing shoots in L.A. so I am so grateful," she expressed. Her enthusiasm for the role is palpable, particularly when discussing the character’s personality. "And I get to play an absolute bitch… I get to play this badass, a woman in a man’s world who her entire life she’s been gunning for this one job and will do absolutely anything and breathes this air of sort of desperation and entitlement. It’s so fun to play someone like so wholly different from who I am." This desire to explore characters that challenge her own persona is a common thread for actors seeking growth and artistic fulfillment.
When the conversation turned to her music career, Moore was quick to distance herself from any notion of a "comeback" in the vein of her close friend Hilary Duff. "I am not the superstar that Hilary is," Moore stated with genuine admiration. "I am so proud to watch her absolutely crush it on stage and performing around the country. She is such a role model to so many, myself included. I’m so inspired by what she’s doing because she’s also the best mom in the world and such a good friend. She kind of just does all of it so effortlessly. I don’t have that canon of hits in the same way, and I’ve never had designs on being a pop star." This humble assessment highlights her appreciation for Duff’s success and her own contentment with her artistic journey.
Instead of a traditional pop resurgence, Moore envisions a future where she and her husband, Taylor Goldsmith, collaborate musically on a more intimate scale. "My husband’s an indie singer songwriter," she explained. "I want to play theaters across the country and have him in my band and write records with him and friends of mine. I will find my way back to music." This vision suggests a return to music that is rooted in personal expression and collaborative artistry, rather than the commercial pressures of mainstream pop stardom. "I’m not going to have like a confetti cannon. I can’t do that. I can’t pull that off," she added, reinforcing her desire for a more authentic and less ostentatious musical return. This approach aligns with the evolving landscape of the music industry, where artists are increasingly finding success through independent releases, niche markets, and authentic fan engagement, moving away from the monolithic model of past decades. The future of Moore’s musical endeavors appears to be a thoughtful evolution, mirroring her personal growth and her commitment to balancing her multifaceted career with her family life.
