Jason Reitman‘s Men, Women & Children, which plays on people’s fears over new technology, left movie lead Adam Sandler terrified about the impact of smartphones and the Internet on his family.
“As a parent, you realize that there’s stuff out there that can be painful to everybody, and it’s right there if you hit a button,” the Hollywood star told the Men, Women & Children press conference on Saturday afternoon at the Toronto Film Festival.
“It’s a rough thing to watch as a parent, and you pray you’re doing everything to protect your life and your family from going that way,” Sandler added.
Reitman’s latest movie portrays teenagers and their parents navigating the Internet and how it changes how people see themselves and those they love.
Co-star Jennifer Garner admitted new technology has her mystified and fearful about its impact on her own family.
“We’re so behind. I’ve got to suddenly get on these things before my daughter wants to be on Instagram or Facebook,” Garner said.
Men, Women & Children also stars Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort and Rosemarie DeWitt.
Reitman sidestepped a question about the recent nude celebrity hacking scandal, where photographs of Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton were posted online.
“I think 100 years from now, we will feel so foolish how we were walking in the dark with this new technology,” he argued instead.
“We got the Arab Spring and #Ferguson, and at the same time we have this nonsense that happened last week,” Reitman added.
“We just have to stop masturbating for a moment to figure it all out,” Sandler added comically.
The Toronto Film Festival runs through Sept. 14.
