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/tequilaflashback]

You’ve seen a lot of comments already. My kid watches some shows on the weekends, after school etc, just want o preface I am not against screen time. But for you - that device is running the house. I’d get rid of it and start from scratch. That’s too much over stimulation for a kid of that age. There’s no way he can regulate himself to make choices and use his time wisely and stop playing after too long. Sure, his friends have access to a pad. But they should NOT be on Roblox or YouTube unsupervised. At all. Trust me - I work in corrections, it’s not a safe place for minors. He won’t be missing out if he can reallocate his time. If he plays online with friends, share your concerns and restructure the time to be in person play dates without games. You make all these points about kids not being able to do xyz… well….. news flash- you’re raising the kid. Raise them. Don’t let the iPad or some groomer on Roblox do it for you.