Question
Notwithstanding the answer to my preview question, my 11-year-old son exhibits an addiction to computers and we restrict his exposure because of this. Currently, we have one computer in the house and his use of it is heavily monitored. However the public schools issue iPads to all of the students and he uses it each day to access textbooks, books and supplementary materials. When he has completed his work, he also browses YouTube and plays video games. I have worked with the teachers to keep the iPad at school, but since the school year began his behaviors -- temper tantrums, lack of self control, deceitfulness and all-night computer games -- began exhibiting themselves again. He has even downloaded VPNs to bypass our blocking programs and figured out how to unlock our computers. Before school began, we were free of all these behaviors. We are already working to establish and maintain our authority. The computer issue, however, is an entanglement that hinders this fight because the behaviors have worsened throughout the school year. From what we can tell, there are 3 private schools in our area that offer education without or with limited usage of computers but the price tag is high. The other option is homeschooling. I do not want to keep feeding his addiction but I don't know if keeping him home until his brain can handle technology better is going to help him, either. I do not want my son to struggle with this addiction, but I am not sure he and I can handle homeschooling. How can I help my son who truly cannot manage this addiction?
