Gwyneth Paltrow, the renowned lifestyle guru, recently acknowledged the generation gap between herself and her children. In an interview, the 51-year-old admitted that her teenage children, Apple and Moses, often act as her interpreters for popular internet memes and cultural references.
One particular meme that perplexed Paltrow was “I’m baby.” The GOOP founder confessed, “I’m like, What the f—? What does that mean? And then everyone tries to explain what ‘I’m baby’ means. I finally got it.” The meme, which originated in 2017, arose from a panicked teen’s autocorrect error while texting their mother during a home invasion.
Paltrow’s understanding of internet culture extends beyond memes. She expressed her aversion to TikTok, declaring, “never happening” for her. Despite enjoying True Detective, she believes television is in a “sad state” and dismisses magazines as mostly obsolete.
The actress emphasizes the need for self-reflection and unplugging from the constant flow of information. She aspires for a return to individuality, where people are less influenced by external pressures and more connected to their inner selves. “There’s a lot of anesthetizing that goes on in the culture,” Paltrow observed. “People don’t want to feel pain or discomfort, which, unfortunately, is part of being human. I feel like everybody’s getting pulled around on a leash by culture right now — all the ‘shoulds.’ I wish for a return to a really robust inner life.”
In line with her emphasis on self-reflection, Paltrow has launched Moments of Space, an AI-powered meditation app that promotes an “eyes open” approach to mindfulness. However, her reliance on her children for internet guidance remains. With Moses leaving for college in the fall, Paltrow anticipates an empty nest but hopes her son will maintain close contact like her daughter. “Luckily, I talk to my daughter multiple times a day, and I’m sure when Moses goes it will be the same,” she said.
