• Roblox's "Grow A Garden" game is breaking popularity records.
• The game involves buying seeds, planting, and selling virtual crops.
• I tried it — and I can see how you could get ahead quickly if you want to spend real money.

The hottest trend this spring for young people is … gardening. Growing carrots and strawberries, pruning weeds. I'm sorry to inform parents anxious about screentime: This doesn't mean your kids are digging in the dirt outside in the fresh air.

They're probably on Roblox, playing "Grow a Garden," which, as I typed this Thursday, had more than 2.2 million people playing — four times as many as the next most popular game. (A Roblox spokesman told me the game had around 9 million concurrent players at one point over a weekend in late May — a Roblox record.)

I tried the game myself, and I can see how — if you're willing to spend real money on seeds and other garden accoutrement — you can get ahead.

Bloomberg reported there's already a robust secondary market for some of the things you can buy to help grow your garden. Items like seed and livestock have popped up on Discord, some niche sites, and even on eBay, to the tune of millions of dollars of turnover a week, the report said. (Selling items on third-party sites is against Roblox's rules, but it still happens.)

How did 'Grow a Garden' sprout?

"Grow a Garden's" origin story is much like many games on Roblox: A random user — in this case, reportedly a 16-year-old — created the game. The teen has remained anonymous, and I couldn't reach him.

Roblox's user base is 40% under the age of 13, CEO David Baszucki has said recently. Users can create their own games — and by using "Robux," the platform's own virtual currency that players can buy with real money, players and game-builders can make money. (It's roughly one real cent per Robux, though they can be had cheaper with package deals and other promotions.)

According to an interview in a gaming newsletter with well-regarded Roblox developer Janzen "Jandel" Madsen, "Grow a Garden" was initially created by the teen who built it in a few days. Then Madsen acquired part of the game to build it out with a team of developers.

It got even bigger when Do Big Studios, a Florida-based company, also partnered in the game. The exact workout of who owns what isn't clear. Madsen and Do Big Studios didn't respond to my requests for comment.

I played 'Grow a Garden'

In "Grow a Garden," which is free to play, you start by planting some simple seeds (carrot, strawberry), which quickly grow into plants that you can sell. With that money, which comes in the form of the game's virtual currency, the Sheckle, you earn more to buy even more seeds, eggs, animals, and so on.

Curious, I tried it. You start with just enough Sheckles to buy a few carrot seeds, which you can plant in your garden. Compared to my real-world failures in vegetable gardening, the carrots grew satisfyingly quickly, which I then harvested and took to sell at a farm stand, using my Sheckles to buy more seeds for strawberries and more carrots.

I strolled around the world beyond my own garden to look at the gardens of other players, who were milling about, buying seeds and selling crops.

Some players had really elaborate setups, which must've taken days or weeks of play to build up. After not too long, I had about 400 Sheckles. The leaderboard showed I was playing with someone who had 968 million Sheckles. I walked over to see her garden, which was full of lush plants and blocky animals walking around. Her profile showed she had created the account in early May — quite a feat (or a lot of real-world money).

It's possible to "steal" another player's crops — but for that and other things, you have to use real Robux. In general, the gameplay is similar to other games — over time, you do a thing to trade in points for more things, which takes time and patience. And if you're willing to spend real money, you can get ahead much faster (this is not unlike the real world).

So what makes 'Grow a Garden' so compelling?

Justin Watkins, who runs the popular Roblox gaming YouTube channel ThinkNoodles, told me the game's creators obviously knew what they were doing.

"The developers have really optimized everything about the game to maximize its spread in the Roblox algorithm, and also have a deep understanding of what players value in Roblox," he said.

"There's been many games that use different hooks for players, but this game has incorporated almost all of them into a single game," including live events that he said are considered "must-attend" to get "rich" in the virtual world of "Grow a Garden" and "flex on others with cool mutations" in your virtual patch.

How did 'Grow a Garden' get so big?

"Grow A Garden" is undeniably popular. Roblox spokesman Eric Porterfield said it was one of the games that most quickly racked up 1 billion visits in Roblox's history.

Still, some adults in video game forums on Reddit, X, and YouTube have criticized the game as being for "dopamine-addled children," saying it doesn't take a lot of brain power to play. (To be fair, there were plenty of adults who also said they found the game soothing and fun.)

Others said that Do Big Studios' involvement led to a bigger focus on monetizing the game — in-app purchases to get ahead and the like — which they said had put a damper on the game's community. (Again, I couldn't get Do Big to respond to my questions, so I don't know what they have to say about this criticism.)

"Grow A Garden" is still new, having launched in March 2025 — and the kind of momentum and popularity it has doesn't suggest it will fizzle out anytime soon. After playing a few minutes a day for a few days — without spending any of my own money on Robux or Sheckles — I had grown my garden to more than 180,000 Sheckles with tulips, watermelons, tomatoes, and a rare bamboo plant.

Hard to complain about that.

• I noticed my sleep was affected by my nighttime screen use and started logging off earlier.
• Over time, I created more boundaries for myself about how I use social media.
• Now, I only use social media for work and don't use screens for entertainment at all.

I used to spend every evening glued to a screen until I noticed it was wrecking my sleep. Years before I began training medical and mental healthcare professionals in resilience-building, I didn't give much thought to rest. Like most people, I would end my days scrolling through social media or binge-watching shows, convinced it was the only way to unwind. But over time, I noticed that my sleep wasn't the only thing that took a hit. I had unknowingly developed a habit of constantly checking my phone and disappearing into screens throughout the day.

Now, in every session I lead, I see the same struggle. When I ask participants if they're getting enough rest, only a few raise their hands. And each year, that number keeps shrinking. The reasons vary: new parents, chronic pain, menopause, and the toll of working in a high-stress profession. But more often than not, it seems screen addiction is the biggest culprit that exacerbates their exhaustion.

I wanted to see what breaking my attachment to my screen would feel like

Determined to break the cycle for myself, I started small. Seven years ago, I began logging off an hour before bed. I still used social media for work but set an app timer to prevent mindless scrolling that could disrupt my day. The impact was immediate. My mind felt less scattered, my energy improved, and my focus sharpened.

Encouraged by the results, I began taking weeklong social media fasts every quarter. Then, I introduced device-free Sunday, a habit that initially felt like a challenge but quickly became a weekly gift.

Being self-employed, I was accustomed to working every day, and I worried that taking a dedicated day of rest would make work pile up or that I'd miss something — that didn't happen. Instead, I gained something far more valuable: the joy of being fully rested, a stronger, more resilient body, and deeper reserves to face challenges. Now, I do this on Fridays, too.

I realized I wasn't enjoying social media or television as entertainment

Even with these screen boundaries, late last year, I realized I no longer wanted to consume social media, movies, or shows for entertainment at all. The content felt stale and even shows that once sparked my interest failed to hold my attention. I was consuming out of habit, not enjoyment. So, I decided to give my eyes a break in the evenings, when I typically looked to screens for relaxation, and take a one-week pause from watching shows and scrolling for fun. I loved it so much that I haven't gone back.

Over time, I've noticed that my sleep quality and overall health have again improved dramatically. I get more done in the evenings. In my work, I often meet with refugees and underserved populations who've been subjected to immense trauma and injustice. To serve these communities, I need to recover from vicarious trauma and avoid burnout.

I feel better with the boundaries I've put in place

Ever since I stopped my nightly streaming habit, I have recovered faster and feel more equipped to handle each day's unpredictability with grace. Part of the work I do with my clients revolves around harnessing the power of joy as sustainable fuel; this shift in my life has become a natural extension of that.

I now look forward to every evening as a time for cultivating joy — unwinding with a mini spa session, savoring a cup of tea, playing board games, and exchanging massages with my husband, which has deepened our connection. I'm not a purist — I still listen to music and audiobooks when it strikes my fancy but I do so with my eyes closed or while exercising or doing chores. And yes, occasional moments of doomscrolling still happen, and sometimes, I do need to use screens for work in the evenings. But overall, these boundaries have made rest more restorative and free time more meaningful.

Four months into my latest conscious uncoupling from devices, I have no desire to return to my old habits of using social media or watching shows and movies for entertainment. Maybe one day I'll get a hankering to watch a show again, and when I do, I'd most likely treat it like dessert — an occasional indulgence, not a nightly staple.

• When my son was young, we had strict rules for screen time, and he followed them all.
• Now that he's a teen, he turns to his phone for comfort and spends most of his time on screens.
• I'm worried he will become unmotivated, so I'm trying to get him out of the house more.

Every parent who has bestowed a smartphone, gaming device, or some other form of personal electronic knows the struggle of trying to discipline a kid in the 21st century.

Whenever my 16-year-old son breaks the rules, my wife and I take away his phone and Nintendo Switch.

In truth, he wants to spend most of his waking hours in front of the screen, and when we don't allow it, he gets angry.

I thought I'd only have to worry about drugs, alcohol, and sex when parenting a teenager. I didn't know how big of a role screen usage would play.

In the beginning, we were strict about our teen's screen time

In grade school, he knew the rules: If friends are over, there's no electronics. After all, we have a pool, table tennis, and three-quarters of an acre to roam. We often spend time with family friends who share the same parenting style, so board games were popular when he was younger. Of course, our son enjoyed his virtual games, but he also enjoyed our time together as a family.

Television wasn't much of an issue either. Between sports commitments, homework, and dinner, he was happy to have 45 to 60 minutes of TV before bed. He was also an avid reader, which was part of his daily routine.

My wife and I held firm when our kids' classmates all had phones. Our son received a phone for Christmas in 8^th grade and was the second to last kid to get one. Our daughter, now in 8^th grade, will also be getting one. She's the last in her class to go without a phone.

He was so grateful to finally get one that he was happy to follow the rules — no phone in his room, phone plugged in at night in the kitchen, and no phone until homework was done.

His time in front of screens increased as he got older

With the pressures of a college prep high school, he started to feel the need to unwind more and more. Whereas we may opt for a glass of wine, our son chooses to flip on his Switch or phone — or sometimes both.

His workload has increased two years into high school, and so has his desire to control when and how long he has his electronics.

Unchecked, he can spend at least several hours on the weekend in front of a screen. I'm worried he will become anti-social and unmotivated to do anything but gaming on his screens. Without taking the initiative for things such as looking for a summer job, getting his driver's permit, or volunteering to achieve a school award, it sets a precedent that we fear will carry into adulthood.

We're trying to change our parenting around screen time

Since his screen time is increasingly difficult to control, his mother and I have changed tactics.

When my son gets upset about losing his personal electronics, we know that giving him his space and letting time pass are our biggest allies. We follow up with a conversation about self-control and the fact that the phone is a privilege, not a right.

We also point out that he thinks more clearly, focuses on homework, and completes his chores when he's not under the spell of his phone or gaming device.

More recently, we've suggested activities our son has come to enjoy. He has liked hikes in the hills behind our house, going for a training run to prepare for his cross-country season, or watching wartime movies that he and his late grandfather bonded over. He and my wife occasionally take longer hikes and have some of their best conversations on these days.

This means that the less time my teen spends in front of a small screen, the better for everyone.

• My preteen feels left out because he's one of the few kids in his class without a cellphone.
• My husband and I are concerned he lacks the impulse control for a phone or smartwatch.
• We decided against getting him one for now, but will keep an open conversation about the topic.

My 12-year-old feels left out at school because he's not in a group chat with his classmates. He says he's one of the only kids in his class without a phone or smartwatch. At first, I was surprised, but Common Sense Media reported that 71% of 12-year-olds had their own smartphone as of 2021.

I don't want my son to feel left out. However, he already owns a Nintendo Switch, a Kindle, and an iPad. Even with strict screen usage limits, his access to the digital world feels robust enough for his age.

At the kitchen table a few nights ago, my son wrote a persuasive essay about why he should be permitted a smartwatch or a phone. It was well-researched, including this zinger: "I only need to use it when I go out with friends, so you don't worry about me. I can leave it on the charger when I'm at home."

It sounds innocent enough — a tool that will keep him in contact with us when he isn't home. However, I doubt the device will live on the charger. I've heard from other parents whose preteens are in the school group chat, that the messages come in fast succession and often at odd hours. With access, my son will likely obsess over the influx of messages, making his emotional attachments to friends even more complex.

I worry about the consequences of getting him a phone

For preteens, a phone or other tech device often has more consequences than only staying connected, Dr. Kyra Bobinet, a physician and behavioral expert, told Business Insider. Because the prefrontal cortex, which manages impulse control and decision-making, is still developing, "introducing phones too early may overwhelm a preteen with constant notifications and endless online options, making it harder for them to self-regulate," she said. These distractions can make it hard for them to form boundaries around screens.

Our preteen already melts down when his timer rings to turn off his devices, and he sometimes attempts to sneak more screen time. In my experience, he lacks the impulse control and self-constraint for a cellphone or smartwatch.

Dr. Zishan Khan, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, said that because preteens (children between ages 9 and 12) are in critical stages of emotional and cognitive development, devices can expose them to adult content, peer pressure, and social media dynamics they aren't ready for.

Excessive screen time can impair their ability to focus. He added that it can also contribute to sleep disruption and interfere with their development of healthy coping strategies and positive social skills. Khan also said that preteen phone usage comes with other risks, such as cyberbullying and privacy and safety concerns.

"They may not fully understand the implications of oversharing on the internet, whether through text, photos, or geolocation features," he said. "It never ceases to amaze me how many times a very intelligent, well-meaning, and genuinely innocent child is coerced into doing things totally out of character, even being convinced to share inappropriate pictures.

My preteen is more tech-savvy than I am. Even if we give him a phone with boundaries, it's possible he'd outsmart our restrictions.

While we decided against it, we're keeping open communication about the issue

My husband and I took a few simple steps immediately following our son's request. We communicated with our son why we don't feel he's ready for a phone or smartwatch, including a conversation about his current behavior patterns.

We told him that we don't know when he'll get a device, and we also assured him that when we do get him a phone or smartwatch, we'll need to enforce healthy boundaries and restrictions. In the meantime, we offered him a compromise. He can use our phones to text friends until the time comes to get him his own device. We also promised to schedule intentional time with friends outside school so he doesn't feel as left out.

Although my preteen isn't happy with the decision, my husband and I strive for open, honest dialogue at home. I hope this will create bridges in our relationship instead of building walls because, like all well-meaning parents, we want to enter the teenage years with a strong relationship.