Fortnite is one of the most popular internet games played by over 40 million worldwide.
Battle Royale is an incredibly popular game among the young with gamers spending several hours playing with online friends.
Several parents have voiced concerns over how long their children are playing Fortnite especially as gaming addiction is becoming a real problem of today’s generation.
What is Fortnite?
Company maker Epic Game’s Fortnite is the number one played game (console and PC) of 2018.
The game follows a Hunger Games style format of Battle Royale. 100 players are put into an ever-shrinking map with the aim of collecting weapons and resources to be the last survivor.
The rounds are hectic and fast-paced with grenades, assault rifles and rocket launchers making play in open spaces risky: An ever-shrinking storm which wounds players encroaches upon the island reducing the map size forcing players to interact to the death.
More than 40 million players a month compete. Typically, there are three million online at this very moment.
A round of the game can be as little as 30 seconds or as long as 10 minutes. Gamers can spend hours going from game to game.
The phenomenon took off after several internet celebrities took to live streaming themselves playing the game.
Parents have raised serious concerns over the amount of time their children are playing this game. There have been stories in the press and on television regarding the struggles parents are facing in getting their children off the game.
What are the symptoms of video game addiction?
- Spending a lot of their free time gaming.
It may have started at an hour or two but noticing that they spend most, if not all, of their free time playing the game.
- Neglecting their education or work.
Staying home from school or phoning in sick to work is a sure sign of a problem. Taking time off work is not a bad thing but skipping school or work to play is.
- Ignoring friends and family.
Choosing to game over spending time with those they care about is a sure sign of addiction. Eating only in their room and ignoring social events should raise red flags.
- Reduction in personal appearance.
If gaming is taking up all their time, they will not be spending much time on personal hygiene or presentation. The more they let things slip the easier it becomes to just give up washing.
- Health issues.
Staying up all night to play, mood swings and irritability are signs that they are neglecting themselves. Avoiding social events especially outside preferring to stay inside.
- Spending money on games over necessities.
For a person with a gaming addiction, spending money on the latest game or console is vastly more important than food, rent, and bills.
What can you do?
If you think your child is addicted to Fortnite it is best to seek professional advice. Gaming addiction is a new and developing category in mental health but that does not mean there aren’t specialists out there that can help. Talking therapies such as Counselling, CBT, and Hypnotherapy can help breakdown reasons, logic, and understanding.