Texas teenagers tried to kill mother for turning off Wi-Fi: Police

Three teenagers in Texas have been arrested after allegedly coordinating an attack to kill their mother for turning off their Wi-Fi.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, police apprehended three siblings aged 14, 15 and 16, at their home in Houston, after they allegedly chased their mother through the house and into the street with kitchen knives.

She was hit with a brick, but not seriously injured. Their grandmother was also pushed over when trying to protect their mother, according to police.

Why It Matters

This incident raises questions over how addictive screens can be, and the impact internet use is having on children.

It isn’t clear at this time whether the household experienced other violent incidents before this one, or if this alleged event was a one-off outburst.

What to Know

Gonzales posted about the incident to X, saying: “Overnight, Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives responded to a disturbance at the 3400 blk of Barkers Crossing Avenue.”

He then provided details of the alleged assault and stated that the teenagers were taken to the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center.

According to a paper from Allina Health, multiple studies connect violence and outbursts in children with screen time.

The paper, written by Dr. Aditi Garg, states excessive time spent on screens is linked in many studies to “school problems, anger, aggression, frustration, depression, and other emotional problems” in children.

Screen time can result in overstimulation and a lack of human interaction, which leads to attention issues and erratic behavior.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 18 months have no screen time other than video chatting, that children aged 18-24 months have “high quality” screen time that involves the parent, and children aged two to five have one hour of “high quality programs” a day.

They do not provide guidance for older ages, but suggest that parents create a technology schedule with enforceable rules for their children to follow.

The organization Common Sense Media says that not all screen time is created equal and classifies screen time into passive, interaction, communication and content creation.

Where passive can be mindlessly scrolling or being on autopilot, other forms of screen time can be enriching and engaging when used correctly.

What People Are Saying

Sheriff Ed Gonzales said on X: “Because the mother turned off the Wi-Fi, all three grabbed kitchen knives and chased her throughout the house and into the street, attempting to stab her. The mother was struck with a brick. In the process, the grandmother was knocked over while trying to protect the mother. No serious injuries were sustained by either adult female.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics: “It is important to consider the specific activities that children and teens engage in on social media, and to support them in using social media in ways that strengthen their social, emotional, cognitive and identity development.”

What Happens Next

The three teenagers were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following their arrest.