: What can I as a teenager do about my insanely strict parents? Before I start this, I just want to let everyone know that even though my parents can be completely clueless about parenting at times, I still love them very much,

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I don't think anybody mentioned what I would consider the most promising idea: Ask somebody who enjoys the trust of your parents to intervene on your behalf. Parents are not all-knowing and may feel insecure about how to respond to new media or social norms. (When I was little all of our parents needed to form an opinion about the new thing TV: How much are the children allowed to watch, and what was appropriate?) They may actually be grateful about a chance to get first-hand experience from others. So try to find someone -- an uncle, a friend's parents, perhaps even a teacher --, explain the situation and ask whether they might talk to your parents. Whether it's better to have a full-scale family conference or let just the adults talk I'm not sure.

I suppose it would help to focus on the two or three most painful and most unusual issues; for me going out with (female) friends would be top, perhaps followed with certain "safe" and ritualized forms of dating, e.g. going to a movie on the weekend, and returning at 10 p.m.

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I actualy saw this writen here " you're fortunate that they even allow you to attend high school".

We need to maybe access the fact that this girl has human rights, and in this day and age being locked out of being with friends and going out and having an internet connection? Dictators also employ the tactic of locking people away from the world so they know no better than what they have.

Your parents are not doing a good job, obviously they should worry, and obviously you are better off with them rather than with parents who don't care at all about you.

But you need to be prepared for the world, and if you don't do it now, reality will hit you like a truck in a few years.

I liked the sugestion to get a job, that's a good start, buy a phone as soon as you can, get an internet connection on that phone, and hide that phone from your parents. Maybe keeping it in the school locker is a nice start, at least you will have a phone when you're not inside your house.

Oh, and they told you not that you cannot have a boyfriend, they told you they CANNOT know that you have one ;) Overly protective parents get lied to and tricked into believing they're kids are "perfect" when they are just like any other kid out there, that is their choice.

In the end you have to remember you are not your parents property, you are a human being with needs and feelings and objectives and wants. If they can't respect that, live your life beyond them.

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I can see I'm a bit late to the game, you've already got a load of replies, but let me add my view all the same. First of all, I remember being a teenager (oh, so long ago), and I sympathise deeply with you; at that age we do love our parents, but my God, don't they make it hard sometimes?

I think I can guess what is driving them (or perhaps it is mostly your dad?): fear. They remember just how stupid they themselves were at that age, and they are scared that you may get hurt. I think I can see that confirmed in the fact that they are controlling and employ bullying tactics ("Well there's the joke of the day!" - I have been at the receiving end of bullying often enough to know it).

Now, as for how to break out of this, I don't think, like many of the other responses seem to suggest, that keeping the family peace is the most important part of this. As you age, you are supposed to be on the way to becoming independent, make you own choices, becoming adult, and that does necessarily imply breaking away from your parents. They should encourage you to do so, and offer you their guidance as to how you best manage adult life; by trying to control your behaviour this way, they are not only hurting your self-confidence, they are failing in their duty.

Finally for the advice part: that is really tricky, since I don't know enough about your situation. Like - Are your parents strong enough in themselves to trust you and to make sensible decisions (and ask their advice if you are in doubt)? Are you strong anough to confront them without getting dragged into a screaming match (which you will most likely lose)? Are there people that you can rely on to help you? Or could you tolerate living with it until you are 18?

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I can understand your parents concerns. Anyway you are right; they are too strict.
The smartphone could be the easiest problem. I suggest you to offer a compromise. Show them the benefits of smartphones except social media. Your parents biggest worries are most probably social media i guess. To be honest, you miss nothing important without social media and in general you will feel better without it. I know what I'm talking about, because i grew up while the social media and smartphone-era began.
Your offer can be a restricted use of the phone. No social media, no use after bedtime (be prepared, that they want to take your phone after you go to bed). If they want more and this is fine for you, tell them about the possibility of GPS-live-tracking. For example there is the "Friends"-App for iOS which allows live-tracking eachother. This app would also have the nice side-effect that your parents will also know how it feels to be controlled. The GPS-Tracking could also help with the "meeting friends restriction".

The early bedtime can be approached by consulting a doctor, who can approve that it makes no sense for you to go sleep that early when you stay awake 2 hours after going to bed.

The problem with dates is a pretty big one for your parents. In some years I will also have children and I can see myself facing the same problem (especially in case I'll have a doughter). I asked myself many times how I can handle it. The biggest worry here is, that a guy only wants "one thing" from you and you don't realize that. To be honest this isn't such a big worry if you are smart and I just guess you are. The only solution here is, that your parents need more trust in you and your decisions. Here you can also offer some restriction. I also have parents who gave me way too many restrictions (also early bedtimes, internet restrictions, etc.) with pretty big penalties if I violated them. Such kind of parents will not let all restrictions go and if you offer these restrictions yourself, it's way more effective, as if they do.

Good luck!

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OK, this may take some time but it could get you a bit of freedom.

Tell your parents that you want to get a job when you turn 16. Use several excuses like, "I want to save up for college," "To get a job in college it will help if I have some experience," "When I'm at college I'll be pretty far away, I'll need some savings to come back home during vacations," whatever you think will work.

This will look like a mature decision and show you're concerned with the future.

Once you get that, you will obviously need a phone to call them if something goes wrong while at work. Also if you have to take a bus or walk to work, do they really want you to lose your job because you couldn't call and tell your boss there was a traffic accident and you'll be ten minutes late? That would look horrible at a future interview.

Now if you can manage that, when you get the job you can ask to work the evening shift. It would be a waste of time to head home only to head back out immediately, when would you have time to eat or do your homework?
It would make much more sense to be with some friends, who your parents know, to do homework at the school or a nearby library, and to eat with them somewhere close to your job.

Once you get your foot in the door, keep gently pushing to widen it a bit more.

Now about the bedtime, get a note from your teachers stating that your homework is not being completed on time. After your parents demand to know why this is happening, explain that you sometimes need a bit more time to finish it, but having to go to bed at 9pm stops you from doing it.

Really hope this helps.

Edit
All right, some people brought up good points in the comments and I don't have room down there to respond, so lets go over them.

The phone:

Concerning using a landline at work, that is an option. Which is why I said that the cellphone could be used on the way to and from work. What if she gets stuck at the bus stop, or is held up for some reason, having a basic phone is a good idea.
And if she does lose her job because she was delayed and couldn't let her boss know, being fired is a black mark in future interviews. She can either not put it on the future college job resume in which case she's starting from scratch, or she has to go in with a potential employer knowing she got fired from a McJob. Neither one is a great option.

Honestly, my first thought at reading the problem was to tell Sasha to ask for a cheap flip phone, one that could only send basic text messages and couldn't go on the internet.
However, then I read this,

For example, whenever I ask my dad if I can have a phone, he laughs
in my face and says "Well there's the joke of the day!"
So that is obviously not an option.

This is all about getting a chance to start a discussion, rather than getting shot down before the discussion even begins. Maybe after she has a basic phone for a while, paid for with her own money and used responsibly, she can upgrade, but that has to wait until she is actually given a chance to show the responsibility.

Eroding Trust

So my scheme definitely has an ulterior motive, but I'd hardly call it a bad one or even a real secret.
Getting a job is a good way to learn responsibility, if it gives her a tiny bit of freedom that's a side benefit for her. At most it would be three or four hours a week between school and work to do things with her friends, like homework. She won't be going off to parties or wandering around bars at night.
The phone would help her parents check up on her while she is out.
The most secretive and rebellious part of my idea is Sasha trying to get her hours set up so that she has the free time.

Also I did say this would take time, it wouldn't be done all at once. First she has to convince her parents to let her get a job, which will be a few months to a year away, then when it appears likely she'll get one she can ask about the phone. It won't exactly be a big secret that she wants more responsibility and freedom, but it's hardly trying sneak around her parents back. If that would erode the parents trust, frankly there was no trust there to begin with.
And looking at what Sasha posted, her parents have zero trust in her anyways. If they lose a little more because she wasn't 100% open with her reasons for wanting a job, what will they do, send her to bed at 8pm?

I really hope Sasha tries Eriks method first and that it gets through to her parents. However if it doesn't work, than she has three choices, sit back and do nothing, which will most likely develop into resenting and even hating her parents (I've seen it happen all too often with overbearing parents of students I taught in the past), rebel and stop caring what her parents think (NOT a good option), or pushing gently but steadily for a bit more freedom.

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(I'm going to risk that this answer is not well accepted. Because, frankly, the advice implied is at least questionable. But still, it worked for me over some things and I feel it shall be mentioned here.)

In a somewhat similar situation, I ran away from home. I never mentioned thinking of this to my parents prior to doing it. I had a cell phone, but I did not respond. I ruined one Christmas Eve of our family.

It was a bad thing to do and I don't think people should do this. But I'm more on the side that if children do run away from home (seriously, not to skip duties of feel macho), it's not thier fault. It simply indicates that there is a problem in the household, problem of trust and of taking each other seriously.

Why I ran away? The primarily urge was freedom. I was (like many times before) told to tidy up my room and was criticized for that "there must be such a mess in the house even on Xmas" and that "look at us (parents), do you see any mess anywhere?"
Now you can think it's silly; please don't take me wrong, but I hate having my room tidied up. Actually, that day made me personally realize how important this was (and is) for me and ever since there has to be a certain level of chaos around me.

How did it go? I ran away around lunch, I spent the next few ours basically just sitting the random vehicles of our public transport system. Soon, I realized I knew what I would do if I did not feel easy returning home; there was this good friend of me and I was sure his family wouldn't have closes their door if I had come there, I had also realized I had had enough money to go to their place even by a taxi. I returned home in late afternoon and finally, we were all together for the Christmas dinner and the celebration (which is done on the Eve in my country).

Now what I want to say. If you considered escalating things this far, you should know what it usually means for the minds of you and people around. (This is based not only on my own example, but also on my experience with psychology as a scoutmaster.)

Your parents will very likely fear of what's happening to you (and they'll be quite right, without any way of knowing where you are). At the same time, they might blame yourself or themselves for what happened (it's a natural thing to blame just for the feeling that there is something to blame). You will probably feel guilt for what you did, and that's neither wrong not right, it simply is. Both them and you will have some time to think why it probably happened and what brought you where you are. It's certainly very emotional for all, and strong emotions are tough to control.

It certainly made me realize how important it is for me to keep my chaos and how important it is for my parents to see my room tidy. It made them realize (I believe) that they should try to understand my needs. I still feel negative emotions thinking about that day, but I don't exactly regret doing it. But also, not all parents are like that, some do take these things as an offence against them, can become aggressive

Final words. I would like to ask you please: Please, do not do this. It's not a nice way of solving close family issues, it is dangerous and can as easily be either productive or counter-productive and you cannot know. I also do not think you can decide to run away from home. But if you ever happened to do it, I hope you'd remember this answer.

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Show them this question (this was mentioned in a comment and I think should really be an answer on its own). It provides lots of talking ground.

During the ensuing discussion the most important thing is not to lose your temper, focus on calmly and politely asking them to give reasons for their restrictions, find problems with that reasoning and tell them about the problems. Ideally, if you find a problem with their logic, put it as a question, i.e. "Why is ... right?" instead of "I think ... is wrong.". It's much less confrontative that way and helps to keep the discussion calm and constructive. Just stating that a certain rule makes you unhappy is also good start.

If they don't think they need to have a discussion or give you reasons for their rules then this approach might not work. In that case you could try convincing them to have discussions anyway with arguments like

Talking to you shows that they care about you
The ability to have constructive discussions is an important life skill, why not add some more training?
If they could convince you of their rules you would be much happier
If they could convince you of their rules, you would follow them even in cases where they would never catch you breaking the rules. For example in adult life.

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For most things you mentioned, there's one approach that might work, but it's risky, so think through the consequences before you do it:

What you can do is blame your parents when talking to your friends and teachers. And then explicitly tell your parents that you're blaming them for everything your friends want you to do that you can't. Chances are they'll feel embarrassed—who wants to earn themselves a bad reputation in their kid's school? And to make your case more solid make sure to keep it to facts ("my parents don't let me go out"), not anything beyond that ("they think I'll get hurt")—it'd be harder for them to dispute you telling your friends the facts in your life.

However, one thing you said stands out to me:

Your parents are causing you to turn in assignments late by telling you to go to bed at 9pm.

Honestly, for that particular situation, I would do this:

Go to your teacher.
Tell her that you're trying to to everything you can to learn the material and finish your assignments on time but cannot because of your parents (and explain why).
(Basically, make it clear that your parents are standing in the way of your education.)
Ask your teacher if she can speak with your parents and tell them something.
Ask your teacher if students generally sleep this early, and if not, ask her to bring that up to your parents as well.
Maybe go up to your high school counselor/assistant principal/principal and have them help you convince your parents they're being unreasonable.

For other issues, ultimately they get the final say, and you'll just have to wait until you go to college. (But watch out: even then, if they pay for your education, they'll probably have some leverage over what you do too.) But one job of a government is to make sure that kids get an adequate education, even if parents don't care for them to. This means your teacher might implicitly carry more weight in the ability to change at least this aspect of your parents' opinions. And there's a chance (a small one, but still) that if they get convinced by this, their other policies might budge too.

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I really don't know what to do anymore, I just don't think that I can live like this any longer.

First of all, I want to assure you that you most certainly can live like this, even though it might not be easy. While staying in touch with limited (or no) access to social media is more difficult than it once was, it doesn't make having friends impossible. (As demonstrated by the fact you have them! =) ) You can definitely live with parental supervision when you're with your friends. Not being able to date or socialize with boys is tough, but not the end of the world. And dressing in styles of clothes designed to accentuate your body for viewing by other people is something you will survive without as well; the same can be said for makeup. I understand it doesn't seem like the most fun you could be having right now, that it looks like your friends are really enjoying doing these things now, and that a couple things your parents are doing aren't a good way to prepare you for adulthood, but abstaining from these things won't kill you.

(By the way, it's clear you have some access to the internet to be asking this question. ;) So you're not totally isolated from it. Do you also have social media, just without mobile access?)

Part of the reason I start with this is because it's important for you to realize that it's possible for you to go through this and come out okay. The other part is because your attitude toward these issues is likely contributing to the problem. You view your parents' rules as just rules without meaning. This is evidenced in the title of this very question, where you call them "insanely strict." To some degree, this perception represents a failure on your parents' part to communicate and to teach you. But in spite of their failure on this front, step one is that you need to realize that the rules they are placing you under do have meaning. The fact you do not realize this yet suggests that you are not as mature as you think you are. That's okay; you're a teenager. This is the part of your life where you're supposed to be learning how to be mature.

So before you try to change your parents, you need to change yourself. Start with your attitude towards these rules. Ask yourself, "Why are my parents imposing these rules?" And if you can't figure out the answer, then that's a great place to start: ask your parents why these rules exist. Don't ask it in a way that suggests the rules don't make any sense; ask them seriously, wanting a real answer. Don't try to use the fact they haven't taught you the reasons as ammunition against them, either. Ask to find out what the goals of the rules are. Ask what habits they're trying to help you form. Ask what threats they're trying to protect you from. Ask what values they want to impart to you. Taking an active role in understanding their methods is a good first step toward real maturity. And if your parents don't give you a satisfactory answer, that's okay. Parents aren't perfect either, and a failure to answer here doesn't automatically mean the rules or their views are wrong. Like you say, you're grateful for what they've done for you, so trust them, in spite of their imperfections. Be glad they tried to answer at all, and if you still don't understand, it's okay to keep trying to understand. After you've sought out some of these answers, you'll be in a better position to solve the problem.

If you have successes in getting answers, one thing you can do is to try to get them to have more open discussions about their decisions. If they talk more openly with you about the way they think about things, this will help you communicate about how you see things differently and why. Doing so might help both you and them understand you and your feelings better. For example, maybe they don't give you a smart phone because they are afraid you'll become addicted to it. (Not saying you would, but there are risks to having constant access to social media.) If you understand this, then you can talk about why you don't think addiction is a risk for you.
A second thing is to try to show them that their methods aren't helping you mature. This is going to be hard. It requires having some understanding or at least a guess about their methods, and it requires a brutally honest view of yourself and your shortcomings. Don't frame it in terms of not being able to do what you want. Frame it in terms of not acquiring skills and experience you need. The phone example is another good one. By depriving you of it completely, you're not learning to handle the phone responsibly now. This means the risks are greater when you move out on your own and get one with your own money. By contrast, if you have one now, you can get used to putting it away at a certain time every night.
By taking this approach, you'll be demonstrating that you are trustworthy and that you are not looking to abuse the privileges you are asking for. This could make them more open to loosening some of the the restrictions they place on you. If they don't feel like they need to restrict you from doing things, they're much more likely not to.

Ultimately, the answer is for your parents' and your goals to align: they want you to mature into a competent, secure, capable, level-headed adult, and that needs to be central to your own goals as well. It isn't about doing all the things you think might be fun. It's about becoming the best person you can be. And that means you're going to have to bend on some things, and it means your parents should bend on some things.

If they just stonewall you on this, then they've really just left you on your own. No matter how hard they try with this approach, it's not going to prepare you for the rest of your life. So you're going to need to work on doing that by yourself. In particular, there's a significant risk that you will find yourself misusing these sorts of privileges (to your own detriment) when you're no longer living at home and beholden to these rules. That doesn't mean you need to rebel now, but it does mean you will need to find a way to mitigate the risks of behaviors on your own when you get older. But dealing with that is a significantly different question. Start with what I've suggested here.

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It sounds like you're an only child, and your parents are very concerned for your welfare. There are negligent parents out there, who don't give a sh*t about their children and think only of themselves. Things could be worse... But your parents sound as if they were brought up in the Victorian era. Maybe that's the way they were brought up. Ask them. Find out. At least you'll begin to understand why they behaving this way.
In this difficult and stifling situation, you're fortunate that they even allow you to attend high school, it may seem a meagre solace but in light of very recent events, it's important not to wallow in self-pity. You are not helpless, you can take action, and you make positive changes in your lifestyle. In three years' time, you will officially be an adult, and you will have graduated from high school, your horizons will be broader.
Anyway, in your shoes this is what I would start to do:
Smartphones

Do both your parents work outside of home? Do they use a computer, and the Internet for work? Would they be able to hold onto their jobs without a computer or a smartphone?

Ask them would they still be working if they couldn't or didn't know how to use a computer at all? If, however, you do have access to the Internet on a home computer, which you use for doing assignments, then forget about this approach. Having access to the Internet on the home computer is like having a smartphone today.
Instead, talk to your friends on the landline, write proper letters to them and post them using the snail mail (this actually sounds nerdy). The art of handwritten letter, especially with an ink pen, is a beautiful hobby to cultivate, you might really enjoy it.

While phone calls and text messages are easy ways of letting someone know you're thinking of them, there is magic in the permanence of a physical, handwritten note.

See also 10 reasons you should write handwritten letters

Toepher says by making a habit of writing thoughtful letters of gratitude, “you’ll feel happier, you’ll feel more satisfied, and if you’re suffering from depressive symptoms, your symptoms will decrease.”

Bedtime

Do your parents go to bed at 22:00 (10 pm)?

If they go to bed at 23:00 or later, it is much easier to point out the hypocrisy. In the summer, and on holidays I would expect the OP's parents to go to bed later. Do they never go out for a walk in the warm summer evenings? Do they never eat out at night as a family?
BUT if they always go to bed at 22:00, and some people do, then trash the idea of convincing them to allow you to stay up later. Instead, wake up earlier. It takes a bit of getting used to, but assignments must be completed and handed in on time. Going to a teacher and telling them your parents demand that you go to bed at 21:00 is not a demeanor or an act of cruelty, even though you may perceive this to be.

What can you do to overcome this irrational curfew?
Wake up at 05:00 and do your assignments before going to school. No assignments? Go out jogging, do a couple of sprints around the block. Ride your bike, get some healthy morning exercise, slim those thighs, build up your physical resistance.

Is it forbidden to leave the house before or at 06:00 too?

Then take up meditation, do yoga, listen to CDs and follow a course of stretching and relaxation exercises within the comfort of your own home. Read at least two chapters from any Charles Dickens novel. Wake up really early, do some house chores, make a "little bit" of noise. If your parents ask why you're up, tell them you slept your eight hours quota and you cannot sleep anymore. You're a teenager and you have energy to burn!
Boyfriends
This is much more difficult to resolve. The only thing I can say is please, please do not see anyone behind your parents' back. When they find out, and parents nearly always do, the sense of betrayal they will experience will justify any punishment they might deal out. You don't want that, do you?
I'd also say that dating boys at 15 is still a little too early, there is no rush, time is on your side, you'll be dating at 17 (with luck) or at 19 when you leave home for college. So focus on your studies and getting the best grades ever.
With tenacity and self-belief by the time you reach 17 your parents should have come to terms that you are becoming more independent, stronger, fitter, with great friends, and with great grades. With all that behind you, how can they deny you a sleepover at a friend's?
Be consistent in this new lifestyle, don't expect your parents to modify their views overnight. Adapt to your environment is the keyword. You will come through.

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I am you 25 years ago. There was no social media at the time, but I recognized myself in that I was not allowed to be with my friends without supervision, no dating until marriage (I always wondered how I was going to get a husband without boyfriends, but this logic was lost in my family) and having to turn off the lights before 10pm. There were many other things.

My advice is get counseling. Not matter what the other answers told you, the fact that you can't talk to your parents/they are not willing to listen is hurting you and leaving scars that only counseling can cure. You are not going 'just to get over it' or 'just live like this'. You need to know what's happening to you is not normal, that you are not spoiled brat asking for silly things. If you can get somebody specialized in trauma, try to get their help.

In my case, my parents are not 'normal'. Probably they have personality disorders. Their rules were only for me, not my brother. They were related to my being female, so he escaped. My wounds were so extreme that I ended in an abusive relationship with somebody that couldn't hear me either. I wish with all my might this is not the case for you, but as soon as you can, now or once in college, get counseling. Please.

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My suggestion: first thing is to find a crisis support center for teens. If you're fortunate to have one in walking distance, go there. Otherwise, find one by phone. You need to find a supportive voice before your mental state gets any worse. Fixing the home situation comes after that. If your high school guidance counselor is of any use (and I recognize that there are plenty of schools whose guidance centers are less than useless), ask them for help or references. If you can't even get on a computer at home, use one in your school's library or tech center to find interactive online crisis support.

It doesn't matter whether your parents' rules and concerns are valid or not. What matters is that you are at a very fragile age and that your life situation is hurting you right now. That's where you need to start: helping yourself regardless of the family.

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Your parents are responsible for your upbringing. Ultimately you will choose your own road when you leave for college, get your own place or maybe marry someone - then that is on you. But up until that point your parents sound like they are doing their best to protect you and raise you to be a mature responsible adult.

Once you leave the home, you will be responsible for all this on your own. My suggestion to you. Make the most of your life now. Strict parents can stink sometimes (trust me, I feel ya). But now that I'm in my adult life, I couldn't be more thankful for the 'strict' protection of my family. It kept me out of trouble and kept my feet on the right path for success.

Your parents sound like they love you enough to put their feet down and say 'no' because they can see other kids your age and what they are doing with their lives and where they are headed and I'm sure they want so much for you. Some rules might seem SUPER extreme and if so - TALK to your parents. Always Communicate your feelings - even if they still say 'no'. Keep doing it. That will help ready you for future relationships too.

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First off, let me say that as a father of 2 adults (one girl and one boy), I understand this dilemma from both sides. There also is no perfect solution or "right" answer to your problem. Its going to take patience for you to get through this difficult time.

It often is best to understand what we control and what is out of our control so as to properly frame the problem. For example, you control what you say (speech) and to whom. You dont control what your parents say. Take an inventory of what each of you control to get a better handle on your situation.

Now the tough part: Accept that your efforts and concern should only apply or be exercised within the sphere of things within your control. This is a mature stance to adopt. If you can do it, others will recognize your wisdom, which is very good for all parties. In short, "get your own house in order". You will save much energy fighting battles that are out of your control.

Try hard to develop yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Be very glad that although you are missing out on "social media" for now, you still have access to the internet. USE IT! Time is on your side. 18 may seem a long way off, but trust me, the years will go by very fast. You have the rest of your life to engage in social media, dating, etc...

Use your love for your parents to bolster your patient resolve to treat them with respect and kindness, even though they may not be reciprocating those character qualities. By doing this, you will exude confidence and wisdom beyond your years. In time, they will treat you differently as a result. Use curiosity when making plans instead of digging yourself in defensively. Be willing, at least for discussion sake, to consider your parents suggestions. Adopt a habit of not making important decisions without sleeping on them overnight. This will aid in eliminating impulsive decisions, which you may regret at a later date.

Above all, when frustrated and ready to give up, remember that you have a home and parents that love you! Therefore, you are very, very fortunate indeed. Always count your blessings and be grateful for what you do have in life.

All the best,

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To expand my comment into an answer: it's natural to have trouble sleeping at 9 PM if you're a teenager. There is abundant evidence that circadian rhythms of adolescents are delayed relative to adults and younger children, a finding that has been shown even in non-human mammals. It might be worth a try to provide them with some popular science articles about this (e.g.).

However, I'm not particularly optimistic that showing them the right well-supported research is going to produce changes in their parenting. What I think some of the other responders are missing is that it's not about the specific decisions your parents are making, as much as it is about how they're making them: unilaterally, and without appearing to even consider your input. Being demanding without being responsive, i.e., "because I said so" parenting, is indicative of an authoritarian as opposed to an authoritative style:

Authoritarian parenting is a restrictive, punishment-heavy parenting style in which parents make their children follow their directions with little to no explanation or feedback and focus on the child's and family's perception and status.

In contrast:

Authoritative parents will set clear standards for their children, monitor the limits that they set, and also allow children to develop autonomy. They also expect mature, independent, and age-appropriate behavior of children.

It's not surprising to me that you're having a difficult time with this; authoritarian parenting has been linked to an increased risk of "internalizing" disorders, like symptoms of anxiety and depression.

As far as what to do about it: first, know that you're not crazy and how you're being treated is not your fault. You could try showing them some literature about parenting styles, but I think that could actually backfire since it would probably be interpreted as presumptuous. For now, I would instead focus on changing the things you actually have control over. One of these is treating your mental health. It may be a little tough for you to get access to therapy, but one easier thing you could do is look into the more reputable types of self-help. Feeling Good is a classic of the genre that is prevalent enough that you could probably find it in a library. You may also want to explore some self-help books that introduce mindfulness: these skills can allow you to experience emotions without getting overwhelmed by them and losing perspective. (Here's an Ask Metafilter thread about mindfulness. I've also seen this book recommended.) Cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness skills may come in handy when you are, for example, in the frustrating situation of being expected to maintain your composure even in the face of unreasonable or dismissive behavior. (Of course, if you are ever experiencing a real crisis where you have recurrent thoughts of harming yourself or others, get in touch with a crisis hotline right away!)

In terms of practical advice: often, people's relationships with their parents improves a lot after they are able to leave the house. Obviously, this isn't directly applicable just yet. But there may some concrete options that would allow you to leave the house earlier than usual while not burning bridges with your parents or becoming a runaway (don't do this, obviously! This is a big part of why we have so many homeless LGBTQ+ youth, for example). For example, you could look into graduating from high school a year early, if that's a possibility for you. Another option might be to apply to a college that admits younger high school students, like Simon's Rock.

Good luck!

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Great question, honestly.

I have read many of the other answers above and they are GREAT, good advice but I do think that the approach is wrong. To correctly answer your question first you need to think about where "strict" parents come from. This is not as much an issue of love as it is an issue of control, discipline and drive. Why do I say that? Well the idea of strict parents is something that is very "passe", old fashioned. Mostly because its very tightly rooted in the way the world used to work. Where to be an authority figure you needed and assumed ultimate control.

These days ultimate control isn't feasible, that's why you're asking the question of how to solve your problem. Your parents are acting in a way that is comfortable for them, their idea (that has been in their heads for a long time) is that if they control you completely they can also protect you completely.

So now that I have explained that, what do you do about it?

Well as you might have imagined breaking trends that are long rooted in people's minds is not an easy feat. However you have a great advantage... they are your parents and even though they might seem strict and super authoritative you need to remember their thought process behind that is at its core, protecting you completely.

Fortunately, I have dealt with this sort of thing a few times for friends of mine so I have a bit of a step checklist that you can chose to use if you feel it fits! Note: You can also take things out of order to fit the situation.

Step 1 Understanding:
As their child, you are their mission. They are being strict likely to protect you and because they feel if they control things like your curfew, boyfriends, social life and habits that they can force you into what they see as a good life. Why do they do that? Well just look around, your parents see things like kids dropping out of school to have babies, your parents see kids younger and younger doing drugs. Things like that scare them when they want the best life possible for you. So how do you combat that? You need to show them that you're responsible. They will come all the way off the strict attitude if you beat them to restricting yourself. If they see that you have the knowledge and understanding to come home early without them saying so, if they see you not on the computer all the time without them saying so, all of these things will show them that you're growing up and part of a child growing up is letting them go, they will eventually have to understand that you're responsible and that YOU want a good life too.

Step 2 Demonstration:
Now you're acting mature its time to really force them to realize it, do things that they don't force you to do all on your own. Things like talking about your future, things like looking into future jobs. All of these things are "grown up" tasks that will show them that you're not just faking it to get them to back off, that you actually care about your future. The last thing that is part of this step is going to them to ask for advice, this is a super grown up thing to do. Parents LOVE having advice sourced from them, they love being the ones you turn to when you have questions. This will reassure them that you care about their input in your life as well. You can at this point add back in some of the things they don't like as long as you are organized, and preforming as well. Like getting your computer time back as long as you're still focused in on what matters.

Step 3 Pull Away:
Now that you're doing all these things, its time to start reminding them that you're grown up. Start saying things like "Mom (or Dad) I do that all the time, or I understand you don't need to remind me anymore" you need to be very careful about when you say this, but this will gently remind them that you want some space. If you keep reminding them it will slowly sink in that they don't need to be on your case all the time.

Okay so those are my SIMPLE steps, try them out... if they work that's awesome and you will actually be really happy about your life because you will start to see your parents get less stressed. Awkwardly enough you feel like they are strict, but they are actually SUPER stressed out about your future. Your parents only want what is best for you, at the moment they have no "defined" way of getting to that end goal so they stress out and hold on as tight as possible to control the situation.

These steps are all about relaxing them into the mindset that YOU'VE GOT THIS, and they no longer need to hold on so tight.

Like I said the other answers are while different approaches great, and I think that if you really want to solve this problem you should use a bit of everything people have said here to really get a good grasp on what parents are looking for.

I really do hope this helps! Have a good one!

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Nobody here knows your parents better than you do. If you don't know them that well you should invest some time and study them. You need to know why are they being so strict, what's their motivation. Bring up subjects in regards to education, parenting, life advice, etc or just listen very carefully while they are talking to other people about this kind of subjects. Don't rush with this one, you don't want to be wrong or misinterpret, take your time.

Once you understand their motives, you can slowly get your freedom by manipulating their beliefs. It's not as bad as it sounds, you will basically be doing things that have a larger scope, that will have an impact on your freedom but at a first glance, won't look that way.

I strongly recommend you reading Plato's dialogues first to get an idea how Socrates used this method to convince people that they don't have such a deeper understanding of the subject they believe were experts in.

If they listen to the voice a reason I recommend the solution given by Erik.

If they don't:

Trick them into getting them what you want. Just tell them you want something (mobile, hang out with friends, etc) for an honorable cause or something that will appeal to them. If you're lucky and got the thing you wanted, use it for the initial purpose but also for what you want.

If none of the above works for you, there is the all-in solution unless you have violent parents. If they can make your life even worse than what it is now or even worse, hit you or give you some sort of unfair punishment you should never try this one.

Assuming that they will never hurt you can simply rebel. Start with small things. Use nail polish or even make-up one day. Of course, you will get punished or something, but at this point, they can't take much from you. Ask yourself, what's the worst that can happen? If you think it's worth the consequences you can do(For example, I can live with 2 more hours of homework every day but I can wear make-up). Don't push it though and start and violate all the rules at once. Take it step by step.

If for some reason nothing works or it's not worth trying, including the answers mentioned by other users, there's probably nothing you can do, so just wait. You'll get to do what you want in a few years and that will be for the rest of your life.

I really hope that one of the answers mentioned here will help you!

Best of luck :)

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Sit them down for a big, honest conversation. Don't make it about what you want, though. Make it about what they want, and especially ask them, honestly, how they think what they are doing right now is preparing you for your adult life. Ask them how they think you'll be able to handle the adult life when you head out to college with zero prep. Ask them what they think will happen when you are free to go out and hang out with whomever you want at college but you have zero experience to tell apart the nice guys and the dangerous guys. What happens when you suddenly have uncontrolled access to the internet when you've never used it before.
Clearly, they are worried about these things. But they have about 3 more years in which they can shield you, and then they will be letting you go into the world with zero preparation. Ask them honestly what they think will happen. If they claim that they are raising you to resist these temptations, remind them that you aren't being raised, you are being forced, and you aren't given any opportunities to learn for yourself. Remind them that you disagree with their stance, and the only reason you're behaving as they want is because they make you, and that you won't behave the same way as soon as their oversight is gone.
And remind them that young people screw up a lot while figuring out how life works. The smaller the situation, the smaller the danger. Right now, if you hang out with friends or on a date, they'll be nearby to come pick you up if anything is wrong. (If they give you a phone, anyway). If you're in college, far away from them, you'll be on your own. The only thing that'll protect you there, is your experiences growing up.
Worst situation, remind them that you will be free to go even if they don't want you to when you turn 18. Since this sounds like a threat, you'll want to avoid it if at all possible, but if they don't realize it, it might help to point it out.
And finally; if the above makes it sound like you'll be in a really hard position when you leave for college, well, you will be. Don't let it deter you, though. Life requires a lot of experience, including a bunch of bad ones, and you'll have a lot of catching up to do... but you need to do it someday. The earlier the better.

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There's a good chance your parents are just basting in the horrors of what they did when they were your age. Or what they were surrounded by. Don't forget what the world was like for them when they were your age. There were no cell phones or social media. To them you can live without it, and clearly the only thing kids use cell phones for are to sext and become victims of sexual predation. Same with the entire internet as a whole. I doubt you'll convince them that phones and the internet can be used for good things without it being full of B line paths to getting you pregnant immediately.

Basically, they're still seeing you as this little kid. They hold on to memories of you being a small fragile thing and are probably scared that you won't be there forever. If anything you will be gone very soon to them. Everything is a threat and if anything happened to you they would probably just die. We all think this way, just not all of us feel the best way to ensure your safety is to put you on 23 hour lockdown and fear the whole world.

In short, try not to see their actions as unreasonable.

Try to realize you're their little bear and they want to keep you safe from everything no matter how small it seems. Chances are the world is going to hell in their minds and they don't know what else to do but the whole "tough love" thing. I happen to disagree with them, but I know what they must be thinking. I have no idea how insane I'll be when my kids are your age. Plus, I'm an internet programmer... it really is like the worst thing your kids can get a hold of while also being a very strong resource for education, personal development, and not being a total dumb ass when it comes to news and general information. A complete double edge sword they would probably rather you stay away from until some arbitrary college age (cause nobody does stupid things in college).

So what can you do? Well, that depends on what you really want. And I don't mean face value. "I want a cell phone" or "I want to stay up till 11." Do you want to gain freedom if it means your family becomes unstable? Panic will do that very easily. Think like a hypochondriac whose focus is outward. In many ways it's not like the shock of jumping in a cold pool. It might hurt them forever. Especially if something does happen after they let you do something, no matter how small. However, it might not. It might show them that you can be allowed to make your own choices and everything might be great. Point is you don't know so you have to weigh the cost/benefit of getting what you want at the expense of the last years you will be living with your parents. I mean, how much do you really care to send texts to friends?

You don't know if you can live like this any longer? Well put. I've been saying that every day I have to get up and go to work. And my life is awesome and my family is wonderful. But we all choose to focus on some little thing to justify a discontent for what is otherwise a perfectly acceptable arrangement. Obviously I don't know the half of it, but I was a teenager once in an era with no internet or cell phones. Kids were still doing drugs, sex, and all sorts of horrid things I hope my kids are not blind to when they get there. Your parents were in that same era as well. But really, how oppressive is it to live under your parents' iron curtain?

What would I do? I'd drop small statistical details that counterpoint their claims. You posted here, so you have internet access. Look up factual statistics about how often controlling parents leads to unprepared children and the scale of difficulties they face over children with more flexibility. Explain yourself eloquently and with representative vocabulary/vernacular. For example. Don't try to convince someone you are reliable by rolling your eyes, saying "whatever" in any context, and filling a sentence with "like" for no good reason. Not to say you do that, but speaking like a kid will get you regarded as a kid. So demonstrate intelligence and the confidence that you will not be seduced by the dark side may become ever present. Figure it's a slow road as well. I don't think there's a single thing you can say to them that will get you an iphone and a later bed time. You'll need to be patient, and perhaps even cater to their fears while using actual intelligence to ween them away from holding you back. In the end the psychology needed to convince them is in reality the intelligence they are looking for to let go. They just want to know the world won't snatch you up. Show them it won't.

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Children are like wet cement: Without the form and structure parentS provide, they harden in to useless waste that society ends up crushing and recycling or throwing away entirely.

You are a 15-year old child, looking for someone to tell you, "You're right, they're wrong." Clearly, many people are obliging you.

While you aptly described the horrible way your parents are treating you, you conveniently left out your behavior to have earned such a strict rearing. That, alone, indicates you have a problem with integrity. I suspect you may not even recognize the effort your parents go through to provide for you (you left out ANYHTING they provide for you -- did you simply forget it or are you intentionally taking it for granted?), hence your negativity towards being called an ingrate.

Here are your ways out:

When you turn 16 you may be able to find a job. Your parents may
allow this since it shows the tiniest semblance of responsibility.
When you turn 16, you can petition the court to be emancipated. Then, you can move out and support yourself and live your life any
way you wish.
When you turn 18, should you decide not to emancipate yourself at 16, you can again move out, support yourself and live your life any way you
wish.
At 17, possibly with parental permission, you may be able to join a branch of the military. It will be, at that point, when you're definition of, "strict," will mature. You may find your parents were lackadaisical in their efforts to rear you. Bonus: you'll be able to pay for college yourself.

Until you reach these milestones, it would be good practice, and in YOUR best interest, to keep your mouth closed (except to say two words: "Thank you"), your ears and eyes open and to learn everything you can.

You're welcome.