What's normal?
It’s normal for teens to unwind with video games, YouTube, or social media.
These activities offer a break from the pressures of school, friendships, and everyday stress. But sometimes what starts as fun can quietly shift into something else—avoidance.
What is avoidance?
Avoidance happens when a teen uses screen time to escape something stressful.
This might be anxiety about school, fear of failure, social worries, or low self-esteem. Instead of facing those hard feelings, they turn to games or scrolling for comfort.
Avoidance and anxiety often go hand in hand. When teens avoid something that makes them anxious—like a school assignment or social situation—it gives them short-term relief, which reinforces the habit.
Why it matters.
Avoidance may feel good in the moment, but it often makes anxiety worse over time.
The more your teen avoids something, the scarier it can start to feel—and the harder it becomes to face. Screen time can mask this cycle, making it easy to miss until it’s already affecting sleep, school, or friendships. Over time, this can make the original fear feel even bigger and harder to face.
Our Intensive Outpatient Program is designed to break these patterns with expert support.
What to look for.
Here are some signs that avoidance is becoming more dominant.
- Your child gets upset or anxious when asked to stop gaming or scrolling
- Says “just one more minute” but hours go by
- Avoids schoolwork, social events, or responsibilities
- Mood crashes after being online
Watch the video below to use our parent conversation tips to open a calm and supportive dialogue.
How to help.
Try gently asking:
“Are you playing to relax—or to avoid something that’s stressing you out?”
Work with your teen to notice patterns, build breaks into screen time, and face stressors in small steps. If avoidance is interfering with daily life, a therapist can help build healthier coping tools.
Download this screen time tracking worksheet to notice patterns of use.