Being a mom of three kids, all from different age groups but under 11, made me write today’s blog. If you have a child aged 3 or above, you should give it a read.
So, it all started when the kids used to watch television and cartoons on YouTube. All was good. My kids have tablets, and those were originally given to them so they could take online school classes, especially during the pandemic and again quite a few months back when academic institutions temporarily went back to online rather than onsite learning.
The tablets were useful. The kids took their classes, played different games and sometimes played interconnected games like house styling, household chores and racing games. Till that time, Roblox had not reached our house.
When YouTube and Gaming Started Changing
Then I started noticing a change in YouTube as well. The cartoons and games that were once made to entertain kids within certain content guidelines started taking a weird shape.
With the rising use of AI and the excessive push towards YouTube, more and more people started creating channels and posting videos of themselves playing games. You know the ones — a gaming thumbnail, the game running on screen and someone giving commentary throughout. Somehow, these videos started taking charge of my kids’ attention.
I did not like them at all. I asked my kids to avoid channels showing fake games, strange characters, bad language and scary images. I could see that some of this content was affecting them, and as a mother, I wasn’t comfortable with it.
I Used Parental Controls, But It Still Wasn’t Enough
One important point I want to mention is that all my kids’ devices are centralized and connected to my phone. They can’t install a single app without my approval. I blocked YouTube straight away and deleted Roblox, which they had initially installed because of peer pressure and YouTube influence.
But then I realized something else. There seemed to be numerous ways being shown to kids about how to get around the barriers parents set and continue enjoying these games and videos. Thankfully, my children did not use the chat option in games, but still, as a parent, it worried me.
It is not like I gave devices to my kids and just left them with them. I have clearly talked to them about the difference between good and bad content. They understand and even admit, “Mom, this is wrong.” They make promises that they won’t watch it again.
But no, man! They are so attracted to these videos and characters that they just can’t seem to stay away from them. I tried taking the tablets away and I tried setting limits, but sometimes they behave as if something terrible will happen if they don’t get the tablet. And that’s the point where I started asking myself: What exactly is going on here?
My Kids Have Toys, Activities and My Time Too
My kids are smart and intelligent, but these tablets — actually, not only tablets, but YouTube, television and all this screen exposure — sometimes don’t let them be themselves. I have bought them so many toys and so many other things. I give them time too, but at times, they are simply not interested.
And honestly, I am worried. There is so much junk and rubbish on YouTube that you can’t possibly clear all of it. In fact, even some games available on app stores are becoming very strange.
Being a mom of three, it is difficult for me to keep explaining the side effects of every weird video they come across. And now I have noticed something else too: children watching reels. Whether it is YouTube Shorts or something else, short videos are everywhere.
But Wait — We Parents Use Our Phones Too
I don’t want to pretend that adults are completely innocent here. We use phones too, we watch reels too and sometimes we are addicted to scrolling ourselves.
The difference is that, as adults, we hopefully understand boundaries better. We know we have work tomorrow, dinner has to be made and the kids have school. We know, or at least eventually realize, when we have wasted too much time. Young children are still learning those boundaries.
And that makes me question how much responsibility falls on us, the parents, and how much falls on the platforms putting this content in front of them.
“My Kids Don’t Watch That Stuff”
Now, there is another side of the coin. Many parents out there will say, “My kids don’t watch this creepy stuff,” or “We have control over our children,” or “Our children know their limits.”
That’s good. Honestly, good for them.
But I am a mom too. I am seriously concerned about what is good and bad for my kids, and I don’t want to harm them either. Do you really think I haven’t stopped them? Do you think I haven’t tried taking all that stuff off the tablets or blocking the internet channels they were watching?
I have. I am seriously tired.
Because when I block one thing, something else seems to appear.
And Then There Is the “My Child Is a YouTuber” Trend
There is one more thing I keep seeing. Parents proudly say, “Look, my child has started a YouTube channel. Please subscribe!”
But wait. Do you really know what content your child is producing?
Sometimes, it is just more gaming content, Roblox-related videos or children copying the same videos they have been watching. Then the child starts thinking, Wow, I have become a YouTuber! I am going to have so many subscribers!
There is nothing wrong with children being creative, and there is nothing wrong with learning technology either. But this cannot become their whole idea of life. What if one day YouTube shuts down? What will be left behind — our kids with empty souls or shattered dreams?
That may sound dramatic, but this is something I genuinely think about.
Technology Isn’t the Enemy
I want to make this very clear. I am a supporter of learning new technologies and creating engaging content. AI, digital platforms and content creation can be amazing tools, and our children will probably grow up in a world where these technologies are much more important than they are today.
But children still need to focus on their studies, their careers and their actual skills. Digital platforms should become tools they use to show or develop those skills — not the entire purpose of their childhood.
And supporting technology doesn’t mean I have to support scary, malfunctioned, dirty or unethical videos made simply to attract children’s attention and collect more views. Those are two completely different things.
In fact, I have previously shared some kids’ YouTube channels that I personally found more educational and meaningful. So my concern isn’t really YouTube itself. It is what our children are being exposed to once they start moving from one recommended video to another.
The same goes for apps. My kids have used genuinely useful educational apps too, and I have previously shared some of the phonics learning apps that worked well with my kids. So for me, the question is about finding the balance between useful technology and endless digital consumption.
The Day My Son Cried for an Hour Over His Tablet
This is actually one of the incidents that pushed me to write this blog.
Today, my son went crazy over the fact that I did not let him charge his tablet. He shouted badly, cried for almost an hour and eventually fell asleep.
And I just sat there thinking: What happened?
He didn’t even seem to realize how he was behaving with me. This is the same child who is normally one of the most helpful, empathetic and obedient children. If a tablet can trigger this kind of reaction from him, then yes, I am concerned. Very concerned.
Taking the Tablet Away Isn’t the Real Solution
For now, I have taken their tablets away, but even I know this isn’t the final solution. What if my children sneak onto their grandparents’ devices and watch those videos? What happens when they sit with friends who are watching them? What happens when peer pressure starts again?
I can’t remove the internet from the world, and I can’t stand behind my children every second of every day. That’s the part I am struggling with.
Not Everything on a Tablet Is Bad
I also don’t want to make this blog sound like every game, tablet or digital activity is evil. It’s not. My kids have used many useful applications on their tablets, including learning apps and educational games.
And come on — we were kids once too. Many of us became obsessed with The Sims, GTA or some other game during our school days. I remember those game-fever days too, so I understand that children get obsessed with things for a while.
What feels different now is the endless stream of content around the games. You don’t only play a game anymore. You play it, watch someone else play it, watch Shorts about it, see characters from it, hear commentary about it and then get recommended another video related to it.
It doesn’t seem to end.
And this is also why I still like keeping some simple screen-free activities around the house. Our printable learning activities for kindergarten kids are one example of the things I use when I want the kids doing something away from a screen without turning it into another long study session.
The Question I Still Don’t Have an Answer To
Let me tell you honestly: it is not possible to sit with your kids three or four hours every single day while they use a device. There is work, school, household chores and life. In this environment, kids like to play on digital devices.
Okay. I agree.
So do we.
My question isn’t whether children should ever use screens. My question is:
How Do We Control the Useless Gaming Videos Our Children Keep Finding?
If I block one channel, another one appears. If I remove one game, they hear about another one from their friends. If I take the tablet away completely, am I actually teaching them how to use technology responsibly, or am I simply delaying the problem?
I honestly don’t know.
And that’s why this blog doesn’t end with “5 Easy Ways to Fix Your Child’s Screen Addiction.”
Because I haven’t mastered it. I am still figuring it out myself.
Moms and Dads, I Would Actually Like to Hear From You
If you have dealt with this and found something that genuinely works, I would love to hear about it. Not the perfect-parent answer. Not “Just don’t give them a tablet.” I mean real solutions from parents who live in the same digital world we do.
How did you limit gaming videos? How did you handle YouTube and Shorts? How did you deal with Roblox or gaming obsession? And most importantly, how did you help your children understand the limits themselves instead of constantly policing them?
Write to us at mommytutors@gmail.com with your experience or genuine guidelines. I would love to highlight some of the most useful parent experiences in my next blog so we can learn from each other.
Because right now, I don’t think I am the only mom asking these questions.
Stay connected. Mommy Tutors will be back with another exciting and relatable blog!
