Parenting is tricky

By Anonymous - 11/06/2023 22:00

Today, I have a friend who forbids their kid from any sort of social media, internet, or way to communicate. Other than school, they have no social life. Yet, they seem happy and like life is amazing. My kid has all of it and I thought I was just being a good parent, but they are depressed as fuck. FML
I agree, your life sucks 353
You deserved it 919
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Top comments

RichardPencil 30

Social media is bad for kids. It's not great for adults, either. The internet is mostly bullshit and you really have to work hard to get valuable, true information. If you count on internet ratings for recommendations, you will frequently be misled. Luckily, there is FML which is an oasis of truth and knowledge is a desert of garbage.

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alw123 3

Perhaps there is something to be learned from the other family? Perhaps having “all of it” can be too much? Perhaps your child needs some support to cope with “all of it”? When talking about social media & the internet “all of it” is a lot, especially for children.

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Comments

ODBeefalo 10

your child has more access to information and the world... and right now the world is pretty depressing overall. but it also means your child should learn how to handle social issues and find information much faster. The random things I learned from long nights of diy video binges, and documentaries have been good call backs for solving issues, things I would not have been able to solve myself without those random bits of knowledge. I would however maybe limit their access a bit depending on age, kids should get to be happy kids from time to time.

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Billsonhamsen 17

This remind me of every episode of Hoarders that I've ever seen. The person doesn't want to throw anything away because maybe one of those things will be valuable. Then when something is valuable it justifies them cramming their house full of garbage just for that one thing. I think having structure in your house and having functional work areas is really valuable.

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ODBeefalo 10

I agree. It's the difference between having every social media app and learning too much random stuff. Also, the difference between a hoarder and a pack rat is usability. Hoarders collect in case something is usable or valuable, pack rats know the use of the item beforehand, and generally just buy too many or prepare for things to break and have all the parts kicking around. either way, social media isn't there for enjoyment anymore... it's pretty well just an addictive form of ad space.

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Evolving_Squid 15

Every indication in the world so far seems to point to kids NOT learning how to handle social issues via social media - quite the opposite actually. As for finding information faster, perhaps, but the non-connected child is going to actually *learn* things that go beyond "I'll just look it up." This will translate directly to better employment prospects and a better life overall.

1 0
Anderling 32

There is something wrong with your child. Consider actually seeking help for them to be able to manage it instead of just comparing them to their peers.

3 6
Billsonhamsen 17

There have been a lot of studies that have shown that social media is not great. It's not helpful in the way that 99% of people say that it is. For whatever reason it usually has a worse impact on girls. I think the internet is definitely beneficial and helpful but social media is really not very helpful.

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Billsonhamsen 17

Yes social media tends to do that to people. You can't binge the stuff that people decide to put online and think that's not going to have some negative impacts. I've seen several studies that show negative effects of varying amounts but I have never seen a study that showed net positive impacts from social media. It has always been close to neutral or dramatically negative.

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alw123 3

Perhaps there is something to be learned from the other family? Perhaps having “all of it” can be too much? Perhaps your child needs some support to cope with “all of it”? When talking about social media & the internet “all of it” is a lot, especially for children.

9 0
RichardPencil 30

Social media is bad for kids. It's not great for adults, either. The internet is mostly bullshit and you really have to work hard to get valuable, true information. If you count on internet ratings for recommendations, you will frequently be misled. Luckily, there is FML which is an oasis of truth and knowledge is a desert of garbage.

11 0
Brightside86 30

Depression can strike no matter how good your life is going. Maybe have them see a therapist, most insurance cover it.

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IHaveThePower 16

Ooga booga electricity is scary and Thomas Edison was a witch.

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Crowned Sataness 12

This world is not a good place for the kids coming up these days. They have little hope for peace, good money or owning a home. Their self esteem is tied into how many likes their pictures get and bullying is bad. The kid who doesn't have access to people is being spared all that for now. BUT he will have no idea how to navigate adulthood or socialize or problem solve and will likely have social anxiety disorders once he gets out into the real world. There is really no winning so just keep doing what is best for your family

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FluffythePink 22

"BUT he will have no idea how to navigate adulthood or socialize or problem solve and will likely have social anxiety disorders once he gets out into the real world." You know we still managed to learn all that and more BEFORE the internet happened, don't you?

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idragosani 15

Correlation does not mean causation. There are kids who "have it all" and are not depressed, and probably vice versa. Take your kid to a doctor, depression can be clinical and not curable by just taking away the things. It could be what is helping him cope more than causing problems.

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1known 30

Apart from giving them toys, how much time do you spend with them?

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