[AussieWog93]

I'll play devil's advocate here: is he making a bad choice because of simple dopamine addiction or does he actually not want to go down the path that you want him to?

My 17 year-old cousin is flunking school because (in his parents' eyes) he was "addicted" to online gaming, yet strangely when with other family members his "addiction" symptoms would disappear and he would be helpful, diligent and talkative. He'd even listen to advice and help out unprompted. As in, you literally take a phone call and come back and he's doing the dishes. Not playing Fortnite, not watching YouTube, scrubbing plates.

The reality of the situation, that's painfully obvious to everyone except his mum and dad, is that a) there is some sort of breakdown in the relationship that has nothing to do with online technology (he has his iPhone on him 24/7 and will go hours without using it outside the home) and b) he fully understands that dedicating himself to his studies will help him follow the path his parents want for him - it's just not what he wants.

Drug addicts disengage from society well before they become addicted. I don't see any reason why "Dopamine addicts" are any different.

[m0zg]

I'd be happy to support whatever "path" he wants at this point, though it'd of course be much easier for me to support something related to STEM. Best I can tell, he doesn't have any plan or path. He just expects to ride on my coattails for the rest of his life, which I articulated to him many time is not something I'm willing to allow.

In contrast, growing up in rural Russia I had no coattails to ride on (and my father told me this countless times), so I'm a rather extreme example of social upward mobility.