Alex's Answer
My parents took my devices a month ago and still won’t decide when to give them back
Your Question
My parents took my devices a month ago and still won’t decide when to give them back and are saying that I can’t talk to my internet friends anymore either. I miss my friends so much and just want to be able to talk to them again how do I get my parents to let me? I can’t go on like this I can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel I just want to talk to my friends again.
Answer
Welcome to Ask Alex, and thank you for getting in touch with your question.
You said that your parents took your devices from you a month ago, and won’t give you an answer about when they will return them. It has been difficult for you as you miss your friends that you speak to online. You stated that you can’t go on like this and are wondering how to get your parents to change their minds so you can speak to your friends again.
We are sorry to hear that you are going through such a difficult time. It sounds like you rely on your devices to keep in regular contact with friends. We believe that connecting with people, especially during COVID times is very important for our emotional health and wellbeing. You have a right to be listened to and treated with respect! We are wondering if you could speak to your parents or another trusted adult about how you are feeling. This adult could be an aunt/uncle, older sibling, teacher, or someone else with whom you have a trusting relationship. It may be helpful to explain to them (as you have done so well in your question to us) how you have been struggling with not speaking to your friends. They may be able to offer you a space to express your feelings and they may be able to help you come up with a plan to deal with this situation.
Remember, you can always phone Childline on 1800 66 66 66 to talk about what is going on for you if you don’t feel ready to talk to someone in your life quite yet. We are here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our text service, which can be reached on 50101 and Web Chat service through www.childline.ie, are also available daily. While we will not tell you what to do, we are here to listen to and support you, and to help you to explore the options that are available to you in your life. We are here to help you in a way that suits you.
We hope that the information we have given you is useful. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any other questions.
We also hope that this situation is resolved for you soon and that you have a Happy Christmas!
Take Care,
Alex