Parents limiting computer time

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Just wondering... Do any of your parents limit how much time you can spend on the computer at home? If so, how much time are you allowed? This question is especially intended for the more computer or internet-obsessed around here...

I'm curious because my father is starting to really dislike my habit of spending hours on my computer, and I don't think I'm as obsessive about my special interests as the average Aspie. My other main interests/hobbies are conlanging and guitar, and I use the internet as part of both (linguistics information and guitar tabs).

My parents aren't very strict about computer time but will not let me stay up all night on the computer. If they did, I would never stop playing Runescape.

I think its a good idea to limit your time on the internet, it can become a bad addiction, some days I am on 14 hours, just on this site, and its become a serious problem for me. Your parents are showing how much they care, and know that to much internet can have detrimental effects.

Thanks for replying.

I normally spend 30 mins to 5 hours on the computer daily, usually somewhere in between of course. My father wanted me to spend 1.5 hours or less! Hehe, I can't imagine that. Luckily he doesn't really enforce it...
Yeah, internet addiction is a scary thing, and WrongPlanet is a really fun site to read. I take breaks every once in a while (a recent one enforced by Hurricane Ike power outages, for example) to make sure I'm not too dependent on the computer.

They tried once but didnt succeed

I think it depends on why they're doing it.

If the reason is cause they would rather have you socialize with friends in real life, you can say "Well I can't help it that people in my real life aren't willing to be social with me."

If the reason is they're worried you might get fat, you can explain to them that people don't get fat from sitting around. Everyone is genetically predisposed to have a certain body type, the media simply likes to make money off the thin ideal. Selling diet pills and other more harmful than not products, including starva..I mean dieting programs. Them telling you to get off the computer to run on a treadmill like a hampster in a wheel for an hour, simply will just make them satisfied, you miserable, and will not change your genetics.

It's ok if they think you've been on for like so many hours straight. I don't know, I mean I spend a lot of time on the net, and my parents don't see anything wrong with it. Then again, they're smart enough to understand that it's futile to expect someone plus sized and strong willed like me, to be friends with shallow preppy thin girls or misogynistic jocks. Both who are the main population where I live.

My dad used to limit our computer time by locking the door. We'd break in through the open window.

Then he would lock the window, fixed the screen. We broke in the door lock with a knife inbetween the crack that somehow opened the lock.

He put puddy in that. Then one of us would hide behind boxes in the room when he'd kick one of us out. One day he decided to spend alot of time on the computer after I got off, and my brother got sick of it and got out of his spot.

Then he started taking the keyboard and mouse. This lasted about a year, we had a spare. He finally caught my brother sneaking on one night.

After that he just gave up.

my mum tries but i always bribe her or sneak round her in one way or another

The only problem I have is that (1) I share a bedroom with my father (long story), (2) the computer is in the living room, (3) my eyes wouldn't stand staring at a screen without having the lights on, and (4) my father complains that having the lights on in the living room disturbs his sleep.

Ditto, my parents are always trying to limit my computer time but they always give in after seeing how it makes me. If they don't give in, I just sneak on late at night.

I used to sneak on the computer when my parents were gone but they put a password. I would stay on so late that I would sleep all day. I think that was kind of a tip off.

They tried. They failed. If they've learnt anything about me this year, they won't try again.

In all honesty, I have nothing better to do. On my laptop, I do the small bit of socialising, play Sims 2 for hours, hang around here, read the news, check the weather, do assignments, listen to music, watch DVDs. In short, I can do an awful lot on here. When I was younger, I will admit, I would stay up to the unthinkable hours of the morning but back then, I really couldn't give a carrot. The latest I'm up now, and it's rather sad, is midnight. But before I was at the point where I'd fall asleep in class from being up so late.

And if I didn't have my computer, goodness knows what I'd do in the evening. Read? Draw? ...?

That's about it. I can't do either of those for 5 and a half odd hours. My parents are usually in control of the TV and lo and behold, I watch DVDs on the computer. I don't like socialising much in the evenings and now that we're all doing A Levels, me and my friends usually have some sort of homework to be done.

So have they tried limiting my access? Yes. She took the computer. She took the cable. Once, she even switched the connection off. She took away the one that I always did to keep me sane. Funnily enough, when I've got nothing to do, I go a bit nuts. Now I think they've realised that there's no point taking it away.

They try to but I manage to fit in a few more hours

Nope! they used too, but now they don't, thank goodness.

I don't - I understand my son , and Bill Gates didn't get where he is playing soccer !

my parents dont limit my computer time, firstly because ive got my own laptop,
secondly, because they never limit my brother,
and thirdly because im 18 now so thay cant really.
but when i go downstairs for a drink there is normally a small comment thrown into the air such as "you've been on your laptop for hours!"