MAP Forum

Helicopter parenting! I'm in fandom spaces, and as many of you know those spaces are often times a mix of adults and teens. Every once in a while youth will come to me and vent about how their parents won't let them date, or they like a guy their own age but their parents won't let them date because they are homophobic or what have you. I have often times also seen that parents seem to think that for whatever reason ANYONE online that their teen talks to online just has to be a 40 year old "predator" and that many many teens are in social media apps without their parents knowledge simply because their parents wouldn't allow them otherwise to be on such an app.

Many of these parents give their teens almost zero autonomy over themselves at all, it's like when they become a certain age they flip a switch and go "must be a strict dumbfuck that doesn't listen to their kids at all" which brings us to the next point in this topic.

Often times these youth are literally driven to suicidal ideation because of their parents unwilliness to give a single fuck what they have to say on anything, rather it be to do with their personal autonomy or rather it's about how they feel on certain topics many just tend to go "ur a fuckin child, listen or else" no matter what the subject matter is or even if they are nearing 18 and in some cases even over 18. Hell I have seen a 20 year old who's parents still forbid him from hanging with a certain person....because that person is gay, they also give them zero ability to go make friends hang out with people their own age without the parents "vetting" them first....all simply because of the guise of "you live under MY ROOF".

SO YEAH seeing the other side of the coin past the parents perspective is...interesting. no wonder so many youth struggle with severe depression and are on antidepressants when so many parents are actively working against their children's best interest for...whatever reason.

What's your thoughts on this? Have you noticed this to? If so why do you think....modern parents have just became so insufferably insane in many of their parenting methods and a porches to things to the point of raising a kids is a suburban prison?

all the adults in my family do this. my mom forbade me for using discord because i was talking to ppl i didnt know personally. i was talking to them because they were cool ppl who actually listened. she didnt like that and blocked discord on my phone using one of those app blocker things. eventually she took my phone, factory reset it for herself, and then lost it liek a month or 2 later. reminder that she did NOT pay the bills nor did she buy it. my aunt bought it and my nana paid the bills for it. my family is always so worried abt "pr3dat0rs" that they forbid us from having PRIVACY on OUR DEVICES. my mom told my sister (technically half sister) to delete roblox off her iPad, but since my sisters dad is an elite parent he doesnt care if shes talking to ppl, as long as she isnt giving out her address or anything. hell she even has discord. my sister is younger than me, and has discord. reminder that i can legally work and drive for work related purposes and she cant. hell im not even allowed to go ANYWHERE w/ out my grandma or another adult, but my grandma barely trusts anyone. meanwhile my sister (she lives w/ her dad) has the freedom to go out w/ her siblings on that side of her family w/ out an adult. liek tf?????????

TheHamilplexOfficial wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 4:31 pm all the adults in my family do this. my mom forbade me for using discord because i was talking to ppl i didnt know personally. i was talking to them because they were cool ppl who actually listened. she didnt like that and blocked discord on my phone using one of those app blocker things. eventually she took my phone, factory reset it for herself, and then lost it liek a month or 2 later. reminder that she did NOT pay the bills nor did she buy it. my aunt bought it and my nana paid the bills for it. my family is always so worried abt "pr3dat0rs" that they forbid us from having PRIVACY on OUR DEVICES. my mom told my sister (technically half sister) to delete roblox off her iPad, but since my sisters dad is an elite parent he doesnt care if shes talking to ppl, as long as she isnt giving out her address or anything. hell she even has discord. my sister is younger than me, and has discord. reminder that i can legally work and drive for work related purposes and she cant. hell im not even allowed to go ANYWHERE w/ out my grandma or another adult, but my grandma barely trusts anyone. meanwhile my sister (she lives w/ her dad) has the freedom to go out w/ her siblings on that side of her family w/ out an adult. liek tf?????????

"Can't go ANYWHERE without an adult" WOWWWWW yeah I see that a whole lot. I see 16 and 17 year olds that literally can't go hang with their friends alone etc because idk, parents are afraid they might smoke weed, or get frisky or something. It in all honesty so sooo dumb.

And the thing is it wouldn't be as insane (though still very insane) if the parents were raised that way but many were not. Many were out smoking cigs, drinking, having sex, smoking weed at like 14 but somehow once they become adults over the age of 30 some sort of weird mental switch flips in their brain that goes "must be a helicopter" or something.

I believe a whole lot of this is fueled by social media horror stories and tik tok reels of teens having relationships with older adults as well as good old fashioned tv media.

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This is nonsense. Depression is nothing to do with "helicopter parenting", as you put it. Absolute nonsense.

DANAT4T wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 6:21 pm This is nonsense. Depression is nothing to do with "helicopter parenting", as you put it. Absolute nonsense.

I disagree that it's always nonsense. much depression stems from things such as loneliness, isolation much of the above can be attributed to very strict parents. How do I know this? I have literally talked to youth that have literally told me this. Much of the causes of depression can be caused by overbearing parents unwilling to let them have a social life or at least a healthy one.

Is that always the cause? No. Are there a plethora of other things that also cause depression such as bullying, and mental issues and the way society as a whole is? Of course. But I heavily disagree with your absolute assertion that it never has "anything" to do with the other, imo that take in and of itself is nonsense. Let's ask the other use here that had overbearing parents and is also presumably a teen and see how they feel.

The way people raise kids nowadays (i.e., helicopter parenting and adjacent styles) is absolutely a major source of depression among youth today. It reinforces isolation, it's usually defined by being overly controlling so fun hobbies tend to get restricted, etc. Not sure how someone could disagree with that.

Bookshelf wrote: Wed Aug 12, 2026 8:35 pm The way people raise kids nowadays (i.e., helicopter parenting and adjacent styles) is absolutely a major source of depression among youth today. It reinforces isolation, it's usually defined by being overly controlling so fun hobbies tend to get restricted, etc. Not sure how someone could disagree with that.

Yup, "you can ride your bike....but not around the neighborhood only to the end of the driveway"

Or "you can go hang out or drive to a friend's house...but be back in an hour"

Or "sure you can have discord, but we are gonna have access to your account and see who and what you talk about weekly" and much more