We’ve all been there. You announce screen time is over, and suddenly your normally sweet kid turns into a lawyer-slash-demolition-expert. They "just need to finish this level," or "save the game," or "see what happens in this one short."

This is the Just One More Minute Loop.

It’s a psychological state where the brain’s reward system is so heavily engaged that the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for "stopping" and "planning"—essentially goes offline. For a child whose prefrontal cortex is already under construction (and won't be finished until their mid-20s), asking them to just "turn it off" is like asking a marathon runner to stop dead in their tracks at mile 22. Their brain is screaming for the finish line, but in the digital world, the finish line is designed to keep moving.

It’s not just "fun." It’s Persuasive Design. Developers at companies like Epic Games and YouTube hire neuroscientists to make sure the loop never ends.

In games like Minecraft, you never know when you’re going to find diamonds. That "maybe next time" feeling is exactly what keeps people pulling the lever on slot machines.

Our brains hate unfinished tasks. When a kid is mid-match in Fortnite or mid-build in Roblox, their brain views the "unfinished" state as a tension that must be resolved. Ending the session feels like a physical loss.

Apps like YouTube Kids or TikTok remove the natural "stopping cues." Back in the day, a show ended, and a commercial came on. Now, the next hit of dopamine is served before the last one has even faded.

Ask our chatbot why TikTok is more addictive than Netflix

If you want to end the loop without a meltdown, you have to build a bridge from the digital world back to the real world. You can’t just yank them out of the "deep end" of the dopamine pool; you have to let them wade into the shallow end first.

Standard 5-minute warnings often backfire because kids have zero sense of time when they’re in the "flow." Instead of shouting from the kitchen, walk over. Sit next to them for a minute. Ask, "What are you building?" or "Who’s winning?" This pulls them out of the "trance" and back into a social connection with you.

Don’t transition from Minecraft to "clean your room." That’s a dopamine cliff. Instead, move them to a "low-dopamine" media or a physical activity.

Once the bridge is crossed, the device goes in a "parking lot" (a charging station away from the main living area).

Not all media is created equal. Some apps are "high-loop" (hard to stop) and some are "low-loop" (easier to stop). If you’re struggling with transitions, try shifting their diet toward these:

Books are the ultimate low-loop media. They have natural stopping points (chapters). This specific book is incredible because it feels like a video game world but moves at the pace of a child's imagination.

Unlike Roblox, which is chaotic and social, Toca Life World is a digital dollhouse. It’s open-ended and doesn't use "streaks" or "levels" to force kids to stay on. It’s much easier to put down.

Audio content is a parent’s best friend. It engages the "theatre of the mind" without the blue light and rapid-fire visual cuts that keep the brain in a high-arousal state.

If you need to replace the "strategy" itch that games like Clash of Clans provide, a board game is the way to go. It’s social, tactical, and has a definitive "The End."

Kids this age literally cannot grasp "10 minutes." Use a visual timer (the ones with the red disappearing disk) so they can see time leaving. Stick to shows with slow pacing like Puffin Rock or Trash Truck. Avoid "surprise egg" videos or Skibidi Toilet—that stuff is pure sensory overload and will almost guarantee a meltdown when it’s over.

Encourage them to play games or watch shows with natural endings. Instead of "30 minutes of YouTube," try "two videos." Instead of "an hour of Roblox," try "one full round of Hide and Seek."

At this age, the goal is for them to notice the loop. Talk to them about "doomscrolling." Ask them, "How do you feel after an hour on Instagram?" If the answer is "kind of gross" or "tired," help them set their own app limits on iPhone.

Check out our guide on the best parental control apps for 2026

When the screen goes black, your child’s dopamine levels don’t just return to normal—they often dip below baseline. This is called a "dopamine crash."

It manifests as irritability, whining, or "boredom" that feels like an emergency. When your kid says "I’m bored!" two minutes after putting down the iPad, they aren't actually looking for something to do; their brain is looking for a chemical hit.

Don't fix their boredom. Let them sit in it. Boredom is the space where creativity starts, but they have to get through the "itchy" phase of the dopamine crash first.

The "Just One More Minute" loop is a design feature, not a bug in your parenting. The apps are built to keep them there, and their brains are built to want to stay.

Stop the power struggles by:

You aren't going to win every time. There will still be days when the iPad feels like it's glued to their hands. That’s okay. We’re aiming for "intentional," not "perfect."

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Learn more about the persuasive design tactics used in Roblox

Ask our chatbot for a 3-day "Digital Detox" plan for your family