Teenagers and Gaming

[RHC]

I have two boys, age 19 and 16, and it seems that all they want to do is gaming. It's getting progressively harder to get them interested in developing friendships that are "in the flesh" instead of being online. Turning the power off to the bonus room where the computer is seems to be making them angry - I can't understand why LOL. Whatever happened to getting together with friends on a Saturday and heading outside to find something to do? Anyone else have any good non-punishment based motivational techniques?

[ReadyRattle]

Honestly, it can be almost impossible to provide meaningful alternatives to gaming as a social and individual activity these days. The only groups of young people that routinely hang around outside (that I can think of) are usually involved in the drug scene in some way.  For example, they are outside to smoke or vape.

The only advice I can think of is to find some sort of sport they are interested in learning (if that's affordable, of course).

There are a lot of reasons for this! First of all, you're unlikely to be able to make new friends in person by hanging out in real places anymore. People will most likely only be in those places to spend time with people they already know, or they will go somewhere private to get together with friends. Once people have gathered to "find something to do," it will often include activities that cost money and/or MORE games and digital entertainment. This is often how today's friends spend time together and stay in touch, on the computer and through playing games together. Otherwise, you leave the house to go somewhere, like college or work, and maybe hang out with other people between classes or during breaks. Depending on where you live, if you have enough money for the transportation (bus, car, Lyft), you might be able to go out to eat food and visit places briefly, but there are not a lot of comfortable public places to rest when you get tired. Young people will end up back in their homes on their electronic devices even without all the portable ones in their pockets.

 

[Luckymadon]

It seems that technology is creating a world of zombies, beginning with our kids. My daughter and her husband grew up in the 90's when gaming was really taking off. Now they are constant gamers with no social life outside of their jobs. They go to work, eat and play games. Thats pretty much their life together. 

[Macy M. C.]

Hi There!

This has been a frustrating situation for me as well. My sister has an 8 year old son who LOVES gaming and watching videos and it's almost impossible to get him to focus on other things! Being that he is my nephew, I want to spend time with him but I do not want to play video games.

I have found over the last couple of months that involving video game aspects to other activities really works! Taking him out for laser tag and then out to the park was my first success. The laser tag was the selling point and then he was already out of the house so we were able to go do other things! He also HATES getting dirty and I love going to do outdoors activities. So we had a water balloon fight and pretending that we were Batman and The Joker and then he was having too much fun to go in. Getting them outside or to start another task is the biggest part of the battle. If you can get over that hurdle, the rest is easy!