Is anyone else's kid addicted to watching other people play games

3d ago1 min read

My 8 year old would rather watch someone on YouTube play Minecraft than actually play it himself. It's weird right? He can recite whole videos. I'm not sure if this is a problem or if I'm overthinking it. Sometimes I let it happen because at least he's not asking me for stuff while he watches. But also I feel like he should be actually doing things instead of watching others do them all day.

7 comments145 views

Comments(7)

GGarrett M.New Dad2d ago

Same issue here with my older kid. I finally told him he gets 30 mins of watching per day but only after he plays for at least 30 mins himself. Surprisingly it worked. Now he's actually building stuff instead of just watching.

RRick M.Regular1d ago

Yeah this is wild to me. He has the game but chooses to watch someone else play it. I don't get the appeal but apparently it's just what kids do now. At least he's not out causing trouble I guess.

DDanielRegular3d ago

This is the thing that gets me about screen time too. At least if he was playing Minecraft himself he's using his brain to solve problems and be creative. Watching someone else play feels more passive. I'd push him toward actually gaming if you can.

JJake M.New Dad2d ago

Oh man, this is my 6 year old right now. He watches Minecraft gameplay for like an hour but won't actually go play the game. I kept thinking he was lazy but I think there's something about watching someone else play that's just more engaging to kids for some reason. Still annoying though.

DDanny L.Regular2d ago

It's the path of least resistance. Playing requires actual effort and failure. Watching someone else play is pure consumption with zero friction. I'd say time limit it hard and don't feel bad about it.

JJasonRegular2d ago

My 8 year old does this exact same thing. She'll watch Minecraft videos for hours instead of actually playing. I've tried to get her to just play the game herself but she says watching is different. I'm convinced the algorithm is just too good at keeping her hooked.

DDanielRegular2d ago

This is peak screen addiction behavior honestly. The dopamine hit from watching someone else win is easier than the frustration of trying to figure it out himself. My suggestion is start limiting the watching and see if he actually gets bored enough to try playing instead. It worked for us but took like 3 weeks.