Eldest DS started secondary school in Sept and we bought him a mobile phone for communication and safety. Since then it's no exaggeration to say he has not used it once to get in touch with us (or answer it when he got home late a couple of times). It is exclusively a games console and of course some of the "games" are dubious in style and content. It is very hard to get him off it (he gets angry, shouts) and DS2 (8) is equally in its thrall. This week I tried to impose a 2 days a week only with phone rule, I took the phone to work and left it in my office as I know if it is in the home he will find it, take it to bed and play games and it is wearing to check his room at bedtime, he always manages to find/ hide it anyway. So DS 1 spent 10 minutes on homework, then found the iPad and started playing games. I entered his room to check the content and found he was watching: someone on a BMX bike gash his head against a concrete wall, cue blood everywhere. Some kind of cowboy turning up at a farm, a woman runs out saying something like "Oh I'm so glad to see you" he shoots her in the head, cue blood everywhere. I told him this was unacceptable content and he said something like "it's fun".
I am really concerned at his level of need/ desire to spend time on these devices, and the content. I am concerned it is affecting his schoolwork (he just rushes through stuff to get onto a device), his memory and exposing him to stuff which is really unpleasant. I know i am a fogey, not at all interested in technology for technology's sake, i have no interest whatsoever in electronic "games". I wouldn't mind it the content was less violent and disturbing, and if it wasn't so apparently addictive.
I am sure other parents have been there or are experiencing similar. Any advice would be most welcome. I am thinking of just toughing up and banning it for the whole week, allowed only at weekends and monitoring the stuff he watches (but that is hard to do). Thanks for reading so far!
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11 yo DS's consumption of mobile phone, iPad etc is nearly out of control
24 replies
whataboutbob · 21/01/2015 09:36
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Pensionerpeep ·
25/01/2015 09:42
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Quitethewoodsman ·
25/01/2015 11:36
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