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Anyone Else Dealing With Kid’s Internet Addiction (Pandemic Related)

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jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
43,102
15,184
Portland, OR
But what are y'all going to do about MY addiction?!?! :panic:

I agree that finding an outlet might be key. Get a cheap drone and spy on neighbors?
 

kazlx

Patches O'Houlihan
Aug 7, 2006
6,985
1,958
Tustin, CA
My oldest is having some issues. I don't think so much the depression, but he is bored out of his mind and all he does all day is watch youtube and play Xbox. He's only 6, so it's hard on my wife. She's WFH and is still usually pretty busy. She tries to get out for a bit every day and takes him with her to walk the dog or go on a short bike ride, but the majority of the day he's still home and by himself. He's not really old enough to be left unsupervised yet, so riding his bike around the neighborhood or whatever is still a no go. He's really a good kid, but we've had quite a bit more discipline problems with him, attitude, laziness about everything, antagonizing his brother, etc. He told my wife he hates her the other day, along with being the worst day of his life about something mundane. I'm sure part of it is age and part is just lack of mental stimulation. We have tried to push him to learn and he's been watching a lot of nature shows, sharks, animals, etc. He's a quick learner and does well in school. We finally just bit the bullet and are sending him back to part time daycare on T-Th to give my wife a break and be able to work on her busiest days and give him a chance to have time with friends his own age and access to more activities and playgrounds and all that. The public ones are all still closed. But the kids that go to the summer camp stuff still have access to all the school facilities while there.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,825
27,043
media blackout
My oldest is having some issues. I don't think so much the depression, but he is bored out of his mind and all he does all day is watch youtube and play Xbox. He's only 6, so it's hard on my wife. She's WFH and is still usually pretty busy. She tries to get out for a bit every day and takes him with her to walk the dog or go on a short bike ride, but the majority of the day he's still home and by himself. He's not really old enough to be left unsupervised yet, so riding his bike around the neighborhood or whatever is still a no go. He's really a good kid, but we've had quite a bit more discipline problems with him, attitude, laziness about everything, antagonizing his brother, etc. He told my wife he hates her the other day, along with being the worst day of his life about something mundane. I'm sure part of it is age and part is just lack of mental stimulation. We have tried to push him to learn and he's been watching a lot of nature shows, sharks, animals, etc. He's a quick learner and does well in school. We finally just bit the bullet and are sending him back to part time daycare on T-Th to give my wife a break and be able to work on her busiest days and give him a chance to have time with friends his own age and access to more activities and playgrounds and all that. The public ones are all still closed. But the kids that go to the summer camp stuff still have access to all the school facilities while there.
build a mini ramp.
 

StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,508
In hell. Welcome!
I wish I remembered what I was doing during our post-Chernobyl voluntary curfew, but I was most likely reading books and playing guitar, being a pre-teen kid then. And shortly afterwards I discovered the Sirens of Titan in my parents' bookshelf that blackened my heart forever. :D
 

Toshi

butthole powerwashing evangelist
Oct 23, 2001
39,767
8,761
whos kids reading dick is bigger?
My kiddo! Mine!

 

Adventurous

Starshine Bro
Mar 19, 2014
10,856
9,895
Crawlorado
That is about the age where I started consuming large volumes of books. I think around 12 was when I read everything Stephen King wrote. The Shining may seem relevant to a lot of people these days.
In my mind, Jack Nicholson will always be defined by his role in The Shining.

Just like Kathy Bates will always be Annie Wilkes.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
22,002
7,886
Colorado
build a mini ramp.
I think this will go on my list of things once I get the immediate house construction done. Not a traditional convex mini-ramp, just the supported flat shooter style. Set it up so that the kids can ride down the street and jump into the grass. It might get them to focus on things beyond just all-girls drama and the trampoline, which they apparently don't know how to share.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
88,825
27,043
media blackout
I think this will go on my list of things once I get the immediate house construction done. Not a traditional convex mini-ramp, just the supported flat shooter style. Set it up so that the kids can ride down the street and jump into the grass. It might get them to focus on things beyond just all-girls drama and the trampoline, which they apparently don't know how to share.
I'm building my kids a mini fly box table sort of thing. And I do mean mini, considering they are 3 and 5, but the gotta start somewhere.
 

cecil

Turbo Monkey
Jun 3, 2008
2,064
2,345
with the voices in my head
As posted earlier about MMA he needs physical exertion of some type is there a local farm he can work on do you have a vegetable garden if he worked his ass off physically he would feel better he would not have time to sit and think and would learn real world ways to deal with his emotions and feelings. How do you feel after a huge lung busting ride yes your tired but usually your brain is refreshed at least that's how I feel after a big ride

Staring at a screen playing a game they experience stress and anxiety, yet he can make it all go away in a split second by resetting the console or entering a cheat code. He can't do that when mom and dad stress him out so he wants to stay in that virtual world where he is in control

I am fortunate when it comes to depression I know it exists and I truly believe people suffer from it and I respect all that but I just don't get it. No matter how bad life has been for me and their has been some shit I'm all good cause sitting around being depressed is just wasting days and from the day we are born the countdown to the end starts so why let any day alive get away from you

My mom always said "we are all here for a reason and once we have accomplished what we are here for our time comes and we die" she would say even little babies who only live for a few hours touch someone's life in the way they were supposed to and leave this earth. Weather or not that is true who knows but it's kept my head up and a smile on my face every day for 53 years

Hope this rough patch passes for you and your family actually I hope it passes for everyone who is struggling in life
 

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,698
12,490
In the cleavage of the Tetons
It was a tapering as his internet appetite became more ravenous. And we became lenient, and let him surf until bedtime. We take ownership of that. He is showing signs of improvement as it is becoming obvious that we aren’t backing down. He even laughed with us last night, which we hadn’t seen for weeks.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
17,343
14,179
Cackalacka du Nord
Did he have friends that he hung out with before this spring? If so, has he been able that at all (even virtually?) The isolation has been somewhat hard for my kids (and most, I'm sure).

The older one (14) is on screens a bunch, but he likes to code, make music, etc., not just play games. He also has a group that he played D&D with, which they now do online. He's not super social, so he doesn't mind not being at school quite so much, as he doesn't have to be around kids he doesn't like. We do have to limit his time on video games, but he's OK about it. He used to read a ton, but has gone through about everything he's interested in by this point. He's been a bit of a difficult kid from the get-go - on the edge of a lot of asbergers/obsessive-compusive/adhd, etc., so socialization has always been a bit hard and he can be pretty reactive sometimes, but I don't think it's gotten significantly worse over the past few months.

Our 10yo is more social (but less motivated at school etc.), and I think misses the interaction with peers more. He'd play games and sit looking at youtube videos a lot if I didn't kick him off. But he's also much more likely to go jump on the trampoline, ride his scooter/bike, build forts in the woods, cook random shit, start creative projects, etc. What he needs to keep from being bored is some buddies. As much as I'd like to, I can only do it with him so much while working from home. He was never a reader, and I think has always felt that school was not his thing, even though he has exactly the same IQ as his older brother.

I guess I don't really have much advice other than maybe keeping trying to get him outside and engaged with things that you can do together when you can. Our kids typically bitch when we go for hikes, but then have a great time. We've been going every Sunday this spring, so they kind of expect it now. Didn't he play hockey? Rinks here are opening up again. Can he get back into that? Or are there places near your house he can ride his bike on his own? Other than that, I guess, just keep trying things to see if something piques his interst- it seems like you're doing all that you can. Hang in there.
 

rideit

Bob the Builder
Aug 24, 2004
24,698
12,490
In the cleavage of the Tetons
Happy to report some really amazing improvements in the last few days. We camped last night with his three oldest freinds and their parents, way off the grid. They had an absolute blast, kiddo was happy, joking, eating, laughing, etc. they all kept the party going for a sleepover tonight, so he is making positive decisions. We think the Wellbutrin is (hopefully!) kicking in.
real hope here tonight.