self-im·posed: (of a task or circumstance) imposed on oneself, not by an external force.

This is an IMPOSED rule. I, the father, an external force, am imposing a rule on my children, and not myself. I, in an effort to be a good parent, to prove myself worthy of the honor raising two boys, have set reasonable boundaries and expectations in order to nurture my children.

This rule is imposed because my children once had a problem with time-management on school nights (as did I when I was a child). There’s extracurricular activities, homework, chores, etc. which need attention. Video games started to consume their time. Homework and chores suffered. The activities they once enjoyed they no longer wanted to participate in. They used to be avid readers, but that fell away. We tried limited video-game time at first, but that didn’t solve things. It was only when we went full-on abstinent that things improved. And the kids see and appreciate the improvement too.

It also allows us to spend a little time together to talk about their day, or play a board game, or watch something. We’re all gathered around the tv right now watching Groundhog Day. Chores are done. Homework is finished. Everyone’s happy.

Anyway, we’re not ruining anything for our kids. We’re enriching their lives. Sounds like you need a little “self-imposed” rule yourself. Spend a little less time playing video games and a little more time reading, and you’ll reduce the instances you embarrass yourself online.