What else do your teens do in the evenings other than game or scroll?

[AnimalFarm1983]

Maybe I'm feeling a bit melancholy as the dark nights are here and it feels like the day ends at5pm. I have 2 boys, one almost 15 and one is 13. The older one is pretty good at self regulating and does different things like play darts, homework, reading or watching sports. The younger one however does nothing but game then stare at his phone. I'm aware this is normal but I also think this is not healthy or productive. I'm trying to remember what I did as a teen...me and my sister were close and usually listened to music, chatted and tidied our room while doing our hair that sort of thing. We did not game or have phones like we do now obviously. I'm 42. They do see friends but usually only at the weekends or holidays. They would happily play football in the park every afternoon during the summer but that's not an option now. I'm trying to go to my mum one evening a week to play a board game which they love but I'm often shattered myself. They also go to a youth club once a week. Just looking for suggestions really.

Rugby and Football training.
husband and I take them and also help coaching. It’s a family affair and we love it

Oh and she’s very competent in the kitchen so will
cook or help with cooking but that tends to be limited to weekends.

DS15 goes to activities 3 nights, scouts, scout band and trampolining. In between he draws on his drawing tablet, plays guitar, plays computer games or watches youtube.

DD17 has musical theatre rehearsal one night, French class one night, then spends the rest of her time doing art or going to friends' houses.

They both listen to music by default nearly all of the time. We watch the odd TV programme or film as a family but not much. They are happy to play boardgames but never suggest it, it's always me who suggests it. We play loads during holidays esp Christmas with the grandparents.

He’s currently yelling singing along to his favourite songs and learning the lyrics. He sings every song like it’s a football chant but he’s enjoying it. ‘🎶I THINK WE’RE ALONE NOW!!!! THERE DOESNT SEEM TO BE ANYONE AROUND!!! 🎶’

Mine (14) still sees his friends most days. They split their time between each others homes. You can't keep them in! If he is in then it's usually a 50/50 split between Xbox and Lego.

Probably not.

I've never bought a game console of any variety for my daughter, because I'm not paying for stress. We can't argue about something that isn't there.

This evening I picked her up from school at 4, drove to club for 445 to 615; drove back home to get something to eat /change and back to second club for 8pm. She travels with her ipad to squeeze in homework so she can watch a couple episodes of her show later.

She's also uninstalled TikTok and Instagram as term has resumed, but I can still hear Snapchat pinging away. Half-term she plays catch up, so spends more time scrolling.

Her school days are long and she loves her sleep, so tries to be as efficient with her time as possible so she can sleep. After club most Fridays she'll shower, eat, hang around for long enough to be polite then go straight to sleep until mid-morning Saturday.

Some days I wish I still had her discipline, as I spend far too much time online and on Netflix.

Dc(14) spends the vast majority of time out of school scrolling/watching/snapchatting with friends 😩 but also has football training one night a week (soon to be 2) plus a game on a Saturday morning, musical rehearsal once a week (and does choir clubs in school lunch times), meets friends to skate at the w/e and has been practicing some evenings, and spends a reasonable amount of time practicing guitar. Other than that they; chat with me and play with young siblings, listen to music, do
homework and chores, enjoy a long bath with a face mask, occasionally meet friends, have recently enjoyed a bit of diamond painting, listen to podcasts, occasionally want to cook/bake, and practice football in the back garden.

Watch a film together

They train for their sport 3 or 4 nights a week as well as compete or train at the weekends. Training is 45 mins away and lasts for a few hours, so when they get back, have dinner etc, I’m happy for them to doom scroll. They sometimes go to the gym after school, the older one has revision, there’s a boyfriend on the scene for one so he often visits.

Mine’s older- 19- so probably a different kettle of fish. He’s rarely in- football, gym, pub, martial arts etc. very sporty.

Sulk, mumble, grunt fart watch the Tele and stuff their faces. Guessed it. All males.

I read a lot. My son was into sport and had training a couple nights a week. He did game too and had an international group of mates he played with. At 15 he also had a girlfriend! My DD read and did homework. We might watch a show together.

DS is 16 and cooks tea (every night, lucky me!), he loves cooking, does his homework then spends hours on video call to his girlfriend, unless she comes here or he goes to hers. His girlfriend is much less screen orientated than him so they’ll play pool, darts, cook together and just hang out. When they’re on video call they play online chess together. Occasionally he’ll work for a few hours but he usually works in the weekend day times and he sometimes goes to the gym straight from school. In summer, he golfs but it’s too dark in the evenings now.

Wank?

Mostly homework and dinner when our DS was that age. He had one marshal arts club and footie at the weekend. Occasionally school wind band practice or school play. Not a gamer, more of a Wikipedia and streaming tv/movies guy

Such a weird reply.

I didn’t suggest a ban on snap chat or TikTok or smart phones, and am well aware of how social plans get made over social apps. Detachment is a perfectly natural expected stage of development. Again not suggesting for a moment it isn’t, which was your implication?

Tiktok in my opinion is particularly rooted in a negative algorithm and pulls in much more doom scrolling than any of the other apps.

Your post came across as quite self satisfied and the actual brag of your profession.

Hubris.

Following

I go to yoga and knit and crochet, we like walking but hard this time of year. Husband has a model train set. Neither are interested. Hubby has lots of physical problems, is constantly in pain and exhausted so it's a fight for him to do much in the week. I have ADHD and anxiety plus a full time job and doing everything else as hubby can't do a lot. So I don't have much energy for anything else.

Rugby training, gym, making food, eating food, playing with his hamster (very random first pet at the age of 15!)
But also a disproportionate amount of time on screens, unfortunately.

Mine used to do football training once a week, scouts another night. Then as they turned 16, part time jobs. And homework. But yes, lots of screens too.

But what is stopping them from being with their friends outside at this time of year?