Crazy Little Thing Called Fortnite
Does your child play Fortnite? If you have a child under the age of about 13, then they probably do. Certainly if you ever hear them mumble terms such as ‘skins’, ‘emotes’ and ‘gliders’ then they are firmly ensconced in the online world of Battle Royale – and you need to read on.
Fortnite; Battle Royale is the latest craze in fantasy battle, free to play (with paid for add ons available) computer games. Drawing inspiration from the 1999 Japanese novel Battle Royale and The Hunger Games, players have to obtain supplies, build structures and find weapons to get rid of other players until they are the last ‘man’ standing. 100 players enter a combat arena and participate in the fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled game – a game that is causing increasing concern amongst educationalists who feel that parents are blissfully unaware of the dangers it poses. Although it is recommended for ages 12+, it is sweeping our primaries as the latest must-play fad, with kids as young as 6 playing the ‘shoot em up’ brightly-hued game in every spare moment. Many parents seem unconcerned about both the age recommendations and the warnings; in a survey for ITV’s ‘This Morning’ in March this year, only 38% of parents were concerned about the effect Fortnite was having on their kids (thought this may have been prior to the headlines about the 9 year old girl – now receiving intensive addiction therapy – who wet herself rather than taking a break from playing Fortnite).
Perhaps they are right and there is nothing to worry about; after all, the violence is more slapstick than real, with no blood or gore to bring any realism to the fore. Indeed, Fortnite’s child-friendly packaging make it easy for parents to assume that it is harmless. The game is sparkly, brightly-coloured and bouncy, and players get to personalise their characters with fun costumes such as dinosaur backpacks. Battles typically last around 20 minutes, meaning a game can easily be squeezed in before homework, but also giving it what one education site calls ‘a moreish, one-last-go quality’.
And this, then, is the reason that Fortnite is causing concern amongst some; not only is it violent (even in a ‘playful’ way) with cartoon characters using weapons such as axes and guns to kill other players, but it is seriously addictive. We are talking about high tension games where wins are rare – but not too rare, making it tantalisingly tempting to keep going. Getting kids to switch off is difficult; and getting them to do anything else with their spare time is a challenge. The other risk factor is the interactive element, meaning that children can be contacted by random strangers.
Warnings about the violent and addictive nature of the game, as well as the stranger-risk, have been emerging almost constantly in the media since the game first appeared, with the NSPCC issuing a fresh warning this summer. Several schools across the UK have written to parents urging them not to let their kids play the game.
But it is hard to stop your child, especially when the game is the latest craze and children not allowed to play may well feel left out or even ostracised in the playground. So, if your child is going to play, there are sensible precautions you can take. The first is to become savvy about the game and its terminology (this is where Google comes into its own). Then you could consider actually playing the game with them so that you can see how it works – and check who they are interacting with. Games played alone should always be played in shared space (ie not in private bedrooms) especially if the sound is on so that any messages can be heard by others in the family.
Limit the amount of time your child plays Fortnite but make sure that they have plenty of very clear notice that time is up or it is dinner/bed time. If they are interrupted mid-game they risk losing and this can cause an inordinate amount of anger in some children.
Whilst no direct link between Fortnite and actual violence has been shown (yet) The American Psychological Association repeatedly asserts that there is a significant link between violent media (in general) and aggressive behaviour, aggressive thoughts and angry feelings – though to be fair, there are other bodies who insist there is no link. And, in fact, there may even be some benefits to playing the game, such as teaching teamwork skills as well as strategic thinking and developing reflexes.
Either way, I can’t help but feel that Fortnite is a current fad for young children that makes me rather nostalgic for last year’s fidget spinner craze. I can’t wait for Fortnite to have had its day.
Really interesting post. Children seem to develop an early fascination with chasing others around and usually inflicting some sort of harm…whether it be in games like Fortnight or through watching old cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Wacky Races etc?
I cannot wait til the fortnite fad is over either
grandsons love fortnite,but not in an ideal world do i like it,bring out a game that teaches them to learn the correct way of the human race
My son did play it but has now got bored with it. I find he gets more angry when he plays online games with others also online. We always try to limit how long he is on there and make him turn off by 6pm every evening to do something else.
Luckily my son doesn’t like playing the game. We had a look and don’t understand all the fuss about it
my girls seem to have grown out of the fad already, but love the dances
My son plays fortnite but I really don’t know what to make of it! Some say it’s ok and others say it’s really not good for kids to play…
I cant wait till the mania has died down xx
I love watching my granddaughter playing this game, I find it fascinating
my son liked the idea of fortnite as all his friends played, but he lost interest easily
My step was obsessed with fortnite with his mates but he seems to have lost it now and is on to something else.
My kids like fortnite luckily not obsessed although they do like to try to annoy me with their stupid dances!
I’ve tried playing I hate the game lol be glad when this faze is done with
Despite my son trying to explain to me on numerous tones, I still don’t really get fortnite.
My daughter is still playing fortnite and I still haven’t got a clue what all the fuss is about!
My son is over this but sadly not o er the gaming haha
Children are spending far too much time playing indoors, they need to start being outdoors more.
Great info, my son hasn’t discovered this yet thankfully
worst game I know, had the kids hooked for weeks, and the arguments over whose go it was, became ridiculous. We had to limit time on the ps4, but luckily they got bored
I think there’s some really solid advice here and technophobic parents may find it easier to go with the flow than learn about the game which is probably fuelling the nonchalant attitudes as they don’t want to admit ignorance. I think age limits are important and although I’ve heard of fortnite vaguely I genuinely thought it was a child’s game which is rather worrying now ive read this. That said the link between video games and violence is certainly not conclusively supported and, in fact, there are many studies that show that exerting frustrations through simulated violence reduces violent tendencies…as a very none confrontational person who has played video games her entire life I can certainly vouch for this, though age limits should be adhered to to prevent other negative impacts!
struggle to get my daughter of it i dont really like it myself
My son plays but I do not like him to as I have heard of kids getting obsessed
My eldest son played Fortnite quite alot but now seems to have got over that phase but my youngest son is still really into it and it’s not really a game that I like him playing, it’s definitely addictive.
My younger grandkids love playing this game
My son has just turned 15 and has played fortnite since it came out, I have said the same thing about the lack of blood and gore to eliminate players, but he often shouts and gets frustrated with it, and spends alot of time playing it, but I’d rather know hes home and safe on the xbox than out doing god knows what
Cannot stand Fortnite or the Fortnite celebs, Ninja is a total idiot but the kids adore him. Thankfully mine prefer other games and Pewdiepie but still this game in particular is rotting brains …
My grandchildren play this game a lot , this was a very interesting read
fortnite is the most boring and irratating game ever invented, sitting in the same room whilst they are playing is mind numbing
Very interesting. It seems likely that children subconsciously become desensitized to violence in games and on all media. However, I seem to remember reading violent comics as a child. Always interesting to read the views of others and any research findings.