Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Has anyone successfully dealt with computer addiction?

2 replies

iheartankhmorpork · 25/06/2017 12:25

Name changed for this as don't want to out ds2

He's 17 and not coping very well with school. For the last few years his main (only) interest has been computer games. He has ASD and zero social skills and at first we encouraged his online gaming as we thought at least it was some form of interaction, even if not face to face.

However over the last year or so his computer gaming has got out of control. If left to his own devices he'd be on the computer every waking moment. We realised he was going back downstairs to play after everyone else had gone to bed (high spec gaming desktop that he built himself so not in his room). Apart from school he doesn't leave the house. He's not doing any exercise, not even things like taking the dog for a walk. If he's not on the computer he just stays in bed until mid afternoon. He's not eating or drinking properly or taking care of himself (has to be pushed to have a shower).

He apparently has people at school who he says he's friends with but he never sees them outside school (he hasn't been out to a social occasion other than family gatherings since Y7). And now he's in sixth form he comes home for free periods and at lunch so isn't having much social interaction at school now either.

To complicate matters further he's exceptionally tall and thin (6'6" and still growing with a

OP posts:
forcryinoutloud · 30/06/2017 22:39

Sorry I don't have any particular advice OP but I'm sure others will. Just wanted to say my DS is similar and I feel I have been advising him against constant computer usage for the last years. He does do a little sport but has no interest in reading or drawing anymore and he barely even listens to music. He is supposed to be having a 'gap' year (he's 18, just finished college) before uni but I am worried that rather than use the time usefully he will end up doing nothing for 14 months. It is both worrying and frustrating, so I do feel for you and hope some help is along soon. I know it is an awkward age and social skills do often improve, you feel like you want to speak for them but you can't.

t875 · 01/07/2017 13:41

Let him know if he doesnt calm it down him self and regulate it him self you will have to put a lock on the internet. Sounds like he's just got into a habit with it.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.