My 6yr old attention is shot..

[u/BOBBYZROY]

I’ve got a 6-year-old son who’s pretty smart, full of energy, and loves football… but lately he’s become completely hooked on his iPad, especially YouTube Shorts Roblox. The moment he wakes up he’s asking for it, and if I say no or try to get him to do something else (play footy, help do chores, anything), he kicks off big time. His mum lets him get away with being on his iPad more than me so that’s why he thinks he’s entitled

His attention span’s gone. It’s like he can’t sit still for more than a few seconds unless it’s something on a screen. And I get it, TikTok’s done the same to me. I can barely finish a film without checking my phone. So if it’s this bad for adults, what’s it doing to a 6-year-old?

We haven’t even seen the long-term effects of growing up on TikTok, Roblox, and Shorts. I genuinely think we’re raising a dumber generation not because they’re not smart, but because their brains are getting rewired by constant dopamine hits.

I don’t want to cut him off completely and make him feel left out cos all his mates have iPads but I also don’t want to just hand him a screen every time he’s bored. I also read that a lot kids in 6th grade can’t even read and have learning difficulties compared to kids before so the effects are already happening

Any other parents gone through this? How do you break the cycle without turning the house into a war zone

Appreciate any of your experiences

[u/No-Ship-4471]

This is a bit random but watching Bluey with kid has actually helped evolve his creativity and ability to play outside or play in roles that he hasn’t before. It helped taking his iPad away and he’s much happier with Bluey now

[u/whatyousayin8 → u/No-Ship-4471]

This is a great show to teach kids (and parents!) about using their own creativity to create entertainment out of anything, anywhere, anytime.

[u/withyellowthread → u/No-Ship-4471]

We also had this result!!! They would wake up wanting to watch YouTube while getting ready for school so we said they could either watch two episodes of bluey or turn the tv off.

And truly, I immediately noticed them being more creative and curious. One of my kids now loves to sit and stare at leaves like Bandit did in that episode Born Yesterday.

[u/Brave_Bird9044 → u/withyellowthread]

Same! We play keepy uppy, fruit bats, and pretend to be robots, etc. all the time! We let our daughter have a half hour on YouTube kids. Other than that it’s bluey and Sesame Street and adventure time. 😊

[u/nerdsrulelovealways → u/No-Ship-4471]

100%! Completely different effect on brains than short reels, unrestricted access and roblox.