My 15yo spends hours scrolling TikTok and now he can barely focus on homework. He's constantly on his phone even when we eat dinner. I've tried limiting it but he gets so angry and miserable that it creates more conflict than it's worth. Is this just how teenagers are now or should I be putting my foot down harder?
I feel this one hard. I'm literally a tech guy and I still struggle with my kids on their phones at dinner. What helped us was making phone-free zones non-negotiable, especially meals. The homework thing though might need a different angle - maybe set specific phone-free blocks right before homework time?
Dinner table is sacred time in our house - phones go in a basket, period. Our kids complained at first but honestly they've adjusted. It's one of the few places we actually talk to each other without distractions now. Might be worth a hard line there even if other stuff is flexible.
My 15yo is the same way. We had to have the hard conversation about dopamine and how the app is literally engineered to keep him scrolling. Not sure if it helped but at least he knows we're paying attention.
Yeah I'm dealing with the same thing. My 14yo can't get through dinner without checking his phone. I finally took it away during homework time and it was like pulling teeth but his grades actually improved. You might need to be the bad guy here.
Yeah this is rough. The algorithm is designed to be addictive. My oldest is 12 and we're trying to stay ahead of this but it's a losing battle sometimes. Have you tried setting screen time limits or is he pushing back hard?
The attention span thing is real. I read somewhere that TikTok's algorithm is literally designed to keep people scrolling. Maybe frame it as him being manipulated by an app rather than blaming him for it? Might get less pushback.
TikTok is basically digital heroin for teenagers. I've been trying to get my kids interested in literally anything else. Books, sports, building stuff. The attention span thing is real and it's scary.
Have you looked into app blockers or parental controls that actually work? My teen hates them but his grades improved when we limited it.
This is exactly why I'm trying to be proactive with my kids before they hit that age. Have you tried setting specific phone-free times or is he resistant to any boundaries?
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Man, this is rough. My kid is the same way with TikTok and YouTube. We finally had to have a real conversation about it instead of just saying no. Sometimes when you explain why the scrolling actually hurts their ability to focus, it clicks better than just pulling the plug.