I've enjoyed myself reading this article. I used to be one of those teenagers wanting nothing else but to play my videogames. It took my mother a long time to make me realize that there's more than just videogames. I didn't want to take a shower sometimes, as it was a waste of time, or I wanted to have dinner in front of my computer, because socializing in the dining room was a waste of time.

Locking myself up playing videogames ALL day is a waste of time. It took me a long time to realize it. And after I did, I tried my best not to fall back into my old rhythm. I constantly asked my friends to go out to all sorts of things. I kept looking for new hobbies to practice.
And during that all I still played videogames, just not as much as I used to. Maybe 3-4 hours on a day maximum.

With your hands off approach, and an intelligent son, you allowed him to grow himself, to positive effect. This doesn't apply to every teenager, sadly. I'd like to think myself as a smart lad (as did some of my teachers, friends and relatives), but I was (and still am a little bit) very lazy. Laziness is dangerous for oneself. Laziness leads to lack hygiene, social skills and other matters, which stagnates the growth of someone as an individual.

Thank you for telling this story. It shows that a 'strict parent policy' isn't necessarily the best option, but it's certainly NOT the only option.