Why are so many parents buying their teens the new $500 Playstation and X-Box?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our teen son claims every one of his friends is getting one. Are we the only parents who don't allow these addiction machines in our house? I don't understand how parents not only welcome this addiction into their homes, they pay $500+ for the privilege – it's a freaking drug. Boys are far more likely to drop out of college and twice as likely to live at home as adults. These video games are sapping their ambition and attention span, and often end up controling their life.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-creativity-cure/201603/the-silent-epidemic-young-men-dropping-out-college

Np So what do you do for fun? Are you telling me you never watch movies or tv shows? No guilty pleasure for you ? In our house we all play video games and it is a chance to bond. It is possible not to become addicted.

[Anonymous]

No you are not the only parents who make your kids' life miserable. Signed, someone who grew up in a no screens household, and whose brother nearly dropped out of college because of videogame addiction

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mine earned it with good grades at a tough private school, and in sports accomplishments. But he will still be limited on time he spends on it.

50% of all U.S. 12th graders have an A average GPA. Grades are a joke, you have to basically stop coming to school to not make the honor roll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're getting it because we are capable of parenting our child and limiting his time on it. We lock up electronics when we are not home, and he doesn't have the key, so he can't cheat. It's fine in moderation, which we ensure.

Cheat? If you have to lock it up and take the key, you must not have much faith in your kid to self-moderate. Or are fully aware that these things are completely addictive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

This is an asinine cope. You're desperately trying to rationalize some sort of video game addiction helicoptering. If you have to put limits on the machine, what the hell is the teen going to do when he's in his dorm away from the tiger mom? He's going to play that sucker for hours on end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're getting it because we are capable of parenting our child and limiting his time on it. We lock up electronics when we are not home, and he doesn't have the key, so he can't cheat. It's fine in moderation, which we ensure.

Cheat? If you have to lock it up and take the key, you must not have much faith in your kid to self-moderate. Or are fully aware that these things are completely addictive.

BINGO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're getting it because we are capable of parenting our child and limiting his time on it. We lock up electronics when we are not home, and he doesn't have the key, so he can't cheat. It's fine in moderation, which we ensure.

Cheat? If you have to lock it up and take the key, you must not have much faith in your kid to self-moderate. Or are fully aware that these things are completely addictive.

Yes, we have crack and meth in our house, but we lock it up the narcotics so our fiending kid doesn't steal extra doses when we're not home (!!!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine earned it with good grades at a tough private school, and in sports accomplishments. But he will still be limited on time he spends on it.

50% of all U.S. 12th graders have an A average GPA. Grades are a joke, you have to basically stop coming to school to not make the honor roll.

In public school, yes. Most of these straight-A students wouldn't be able to keep up in top private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

This is an asinine cope. You're desperately trying to rationalize some sort of video game addiction helicoptering. If you have to put limits on the machine, what the hell is the teen going to do when he's in his dorm away from the tiger mom? He's going to play that sucker for hours on end.

You are far too emotionally invested in how I parent my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suppose it’s a problem if your child has an addictive personality and no other social or physical interests, but that’s not the case for many kids. DS has one and hardly ever plays with it. He’s outside hanging out with other kids right now (within our pod).

My son's hockey team is full of amazing, competitive athletes ... and nearly all of them are addicted to video games when they're not on the ice. Talking with other parents about classes they're in and test scores ... they're basically all dull, which is of course predictable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can play games with a group of friends online. Boys no longer call each other to talk. They talk while playing games using Xbox or PlayStation. If you have no gaming system it can be hard to be social.

My son started a new school for 5th grade. He now plays with 3 other kids from his school for 30 minutes to an hour in the evening. He would feel really isolated without that connection.

That’s exactly right. Instead they spew misogynistic and racist garbage through their video games because nobody is watching. Your kids are exposed to all kinds of things you don’t know about on there.

They do this in the gym, on the playing field and everywhere else.

I’ve never heard my son say anything inappropriate on Xbox live or on the playing field. Sorry your son was so poorly raised though.

My kids are 6 and 8. We don’t have one. That was a ridiculous comment.

My knowledge is based on half a dozen male friends who tell me what goes on in the chats. My black friend plays and nobody knows he’s black and he says you should hear the racist crap people say and all kinds of hateful things about women. It doesn’t surprise me. Anonymity of being online makes things worse. That’s different than being in person in an all-male macho environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

LOL, PP, do you also let your teen drink in your home because “you can control it”? Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Because this is the way that boys socialize with their friends these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

LOL, PP, do you also let your teen drink in your home because “you can control it”? Jesus.

Haha, that is exactly what "cool" moms and dads tell themselves about drinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is going to have issues with addictive behavior, delaying their access to video games isn’t going to help. If anything, it means that they will first get meaningful access at a time when you can’t provide as much guidance and oversight (eg, college), and they are therefore more likely to get into trouble with it. By allowing kids to have video games while they are still living under our roof, we have the ability to set rules in a way that teaches them healthy ways to manage screen use.

LOL, PP, do you also let your teen drink in your home because “you can control it”? Jesus.

I see you have no substantive response.