[EvilGiraffe]

Our son is 13 and is essentially uninterested in anything that doesn't involve a screen. Won't read a book, won't read a magazine, newspaper. Not interested in music, has no hobbies other than some sort of gaming. Doesn't engage with schoolwork at all and pretty much only ever does any under duress. Academically he's probably slightly above average. He has a decent brain but just seems unwilling to use it at all. Trying to engage him in anything is incredibly hard and meets with endless resistance. He's not unpleasant - he's a nice kid, but it's demoralising to see that when he's not allowed on the X Box he has absolutely no idea what to do with himself.

Perhaps this is utterly normal for a large number of young male teenagers (our daughter -15 - has no problem, plays guitar, reads, etc). Any thoughts on how to spark some interest in the world....?

[johnf22881]

Use it to your advantage. There are hundreds of careers in the field of gaming that will engage him in other subjects like math, science, and the like. This will surely get him interested in other things as-well. Good things can come from seemingly bad situations. I know he is only 13 and the prospect of a career may sound far away at the moment, but this negative can be turned into a HUGE positive, and in more weighs than imaginable.