How much is too much gaming per day for teenagers?

[redandyellowbits]

I am a parent of children who are not yet old enough to be into gaming but friends of mine have boys who do play video games each time we go over for dinner, etc.

It just got me wondering what would be considered an acceptable amount of gaming time per day?

Their sons are 15 and 12, and will game for approx 5h each night, sometimes more (the duration of our dinner/evening there). I know this happens each night as they do this every time we might pop in, be on the phone etc.

What are your experiences?

I’ve never been really strict with it as long as homework is done, they’re have regular breaks from screens, having some family time and they are getting some fresh air.

There’s definitely been winter days in the school holidays where they’ve spent 10 hours + gaming, well into the night as older teens but there’s times when they’re busy with school, homework, driving lessons, out with friends and they might not game at all. On an average day after school I’d say they spend 2/3 hours gaming, holidays and weekends maybe 6 hours. They’re good kids, doing well in their education, respectful, help around the house, walk the dogs and other stuff so I mainly leave them to it.

It's about balance isn't it, like pp said if homework is done and it's a dark, cold night then it's a great way of interacting with your mates for the evening, lots of chat about the school day and I often hear DS howling with laughter. I'd rather that than him out on street corners.

Its different in the summer, they walk home from school, go for a kick about in the evening etc.

Definitely balance. I do have parental controls on as my teen struggles to regulate but they will be 15 soon so I need to back off and leave them to it a bit. Obviously if homework isn't done then devices will be confiscated. They have other hobbies too so while when it isn't a night they have a club they will sit in their room in a screen from the time they get home until they go to bed (with a break for dinner) there are also nights they are out doing things. When they play they are mostly on a group chat with friends at the same time and playing something together online so I try to see it as not much different to when I was a teen and would spend hours on the phone to my friends every night. They are socialising not just gaming and in the summer months when it is light after school they do hang out with friends down the park etc too. Or they can be found on the steps of the village hall piggybacking the WiFi playing on their switches!

My grandson would have been lost without his ps4 during lockdown ('There's nothing else to do! ') and his mum's fairly relaxed about it now - we never have phones or consoles at mealtimes (home or out) and he is expected to be sociable with visitors. As long as he's given some warning, he comes off (with relatively good grace) the rest of the time and he's a great rugby player so does get exercise and fresh air. I suppose he spends 3hrs a night and possibly 4-6hrs Sat and Sun depending on what's happening.

I had a very strict 'no online gaming' for DS 11 before covid. That all went south because without the online xbox he would have been utterly lonely. Now like pp we have clear rules, homework done, tea at the table, off by 7pm no matter what. He's probably on for 2 hours a night but it's mostly minecraft or racing games and they are laughing so much I don't want to stop him having that interaction with his friends.

I’m not strict on myself so I can hardly be strict with children. If you enjoy playing and it stops you being bored then why not? God knows there’s little enough pleasure in this world.

I have never restricted gaming with mine.

As long as they study and wake up in time for school without problems, mine don't have limits.