But with its global success, concerns have emerged among parents who are finding it increasingly difficult to keep their children away from the game. In the midst of widespread Fortnite addiction, what should parents do?
What is Fortnite?
Fortnite is a shooter game where players have to find weapons and use them to kill opponents on a fantastic desert island. That Battle Royale version – particularly popular with younger players – was released in late 2017. The mode allows players to join up to 100 other people online in a Hunger Games-style death match where the last person standing is declared the winner. Players can chat online via audio (which they usually use) or text (which is rare), adding a social component to the game. All versions of Fortnite are free, but have the option for in-game purchases.
Battle Royale Raises Concerns About Teen Gaming Addiction in Australia
A number of stories have recently appeared in the media – perhaps the most prominent 60 Minutes Australiaprofile of Logan Ford, a 14 year old with a gaming addiction currently focused on Fortnite. Preferring playing Fortnite to any other activity, Ford confined himself exclusively to his room except going out to eat and use the toilet. He reportedly missed school for two years. However, he said, he would play up to 14 hours a day if he could.
Other parents reported that their kids responded hysterically when their Fortnite privileges were revoked, were punished at school for gaming during class time, secretly woken up in the middle of the night to sneak in extra playtime, and even stole parents’ credit cards they. to make in-game purchases.
Eleven-year-old Riley Holzinger said he would have a hard time coping if his parents confiscated his gaming console: “I would probably get angry while playing games, like breaking things and then getting sad,” he said. And his sentiments seem to be shared by teens across the country.
Fortnite-related sleep deprivation distracts from class
Fortnite greatly impacts teenagers’ academic performance, with many teens losing focus and not doing their homework – even their social standing at school can be affected by their gaming statistics.
Mom Debbie Vitany has been working with her teenage son Carson to get back on schedule after consistently losing sleep over time playing Fortnite. “We’ve made some progress in getting him to reduce his playing time on Fortnite and get better sleep, but he’s falling back into his old habits,” he said, adding: “I’ve never seen a game that has that much control over kids. ‘ thought.”
This behavior is not unique among young Fortnite players. Brad Marshall from Kidspace in Sydney said, “We see around 60-70 per cent of kids reporting that Fortnite is their main game. Some children have trouble sleeping, which means going to bed at two or three in the morning, for others it’s because they’re late doing homework, or not turning in assignments. We also saw quite a lot of outbursts of anger within the country.”
Cam Adair of global online gaming addiction help community, Game Quitters, highlighted the magnitude of the problem in Australia: “When I spoke at schools recently in Australia, everyone raised their hand when I asked whether they played it or not. “There’s something different about this and it’s causing a lot of parents difficulties at home,” Adair said.
The disaster sparked confusion among parents in Australia, who struggled to understand their children’s gaming behavior. Some even shame each other’s parenting approaches.
Respond 60 Minutes In particular, one mother said her 11-year-old son played Fortnite, but she strictly limited his use. “When he was told he couldn’t have it, he was criticized but THAT’S MY JOB, he said. “I’m not a ‘friend’, I’m a ‘parent’. Stop confusing both of them. If my kid acted like that, it wouldn’t be the cord that I’d pull out, it would be the entire machine that becomes mulch. Grow a pair.”
Why It’s So Difficult for Teenagers to Let Go of Control
But a basic understanding of addiction shows that stopping this behavior is not easy. There are a number of reasons why banning gaming is not always effective.
Some parents have been on the receiving end of anger in response to the removal of their children’s gaming privileges so intensely that they fear for their personal safety. And because kids are so digitally connected, and Fortnite is available on multiple platforms, simply removing the device doesn’t always solve the problem.
Many kids are interested in the social aspect of gaming communities, especially in the context of Fortnite, which allows up to 100 players at a time in the Battle Royale version. This is especially true for children who have difficulty socializing in real life. According to Game Quitters, “Their online gamer friends are their true friends, and usually, their friends only friends. When you tell them to stop playing games, what they really hear is stop having friends.”
Professor Yucel, clinical neuropsychologist at Monash University, said, “It’s not just about the time spent playing games, there’s a psychological aspect where someone becomes dependent on it, they don’t enjoy it anymore, they just do it for the sake of it. for the sake of doing it.”
How Gaming Addiction Gets into Children’s Brains
Gaming addiction, like other addictions, is related to the brain’s reward system, which is designed to give us feelings of pleasure in response to behaviors necessary for our survival by increasing dopamine levels. But drugs, alcohol and behaviors like gambling trigger the same dopamine response – and when this happens over and over again, neural pathways are formed. Gamers start to lose control of their behavior as it becomes more of a necessity than a conscious decision. That’s why overcoming addiction is much more complicated than just wanting to stop.
Clinical psychologist Dr Huu Kim Le says of her teenage clients who are addicted to gaming, “They actually no longer enjoy playing games but feel compelled or compelled to play compulsively.” This has major developmental consequences at this crucial age: “For teenagers, because they spend so much time on it, they miss out on important developmental milestones… things like friendships, relationships, the ability to control themselves.”
Additional specialist neuropsychologist, Professor Yucel from Monash University, explains that video games function in the same way as gambling technology: “For example, you might get a small win and a celebratory sound is heard, or a small win and you can unlock an option or get a skin new.” In this way, games exploit the brain’s reward system, allowing the behavior to be easily turned into a habit.
Fortnite and Other Games are Designed become addictive
The annoying truth behind all this is that gaming technology is intentionally designed to be addictive. The financial incentive for gaming companies is to keep players playing – and making in-app purchases. These companies are aware of the aforementioned dopamine feedback loop, and are using tools to exploit it – something technology writer Wade L. Robinson calls “provocative fallacy.” That is, they use gaming technology to intentionally encourage self-defeating user behavior.
Fortnite offers an in-game option for players to purchase battle passes, which they can use to purchase special characters, costumes, and weapons, or earn additional rewards. Concerned professionals in the mental health community are starting to worry that these ‘freemium’ games may come at a price. The company that makes Fortnite, Epic Games, is accused of using predatory gambling tactics to lure players into spending more money than they intended to get additional features. Say Dr Daniel King and Professor Paul Delfabbro, from the University of Adelaide, “This scheme may entice some players who have access to credit cards to spend more money than they can afford,” suggesting that the company may be taking advantage of younger players, who tend to have less spending discretion.
Consequences of Teenage Gaming Addiction
The World Health Organization describes gaming disorder as “a pattern of persistent or repetitive gaming behavior, both online and offline, manifested by impaired control over gaming, increased priority given to gaming so that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities -day. activity and continued or increased gaming despite negative consequences.” The consequences of this gaming addiction can include:
- Lack of sleep
- Poor diet and malnutrition
- Caffeine addiction
- Dehydration
- Anxiety
- Social withdrawal
- Academic setbacks
All of these things can significantly influence the trajectory of a teenager’s development during this important developmental stage because the impact on their physical and mental health extends to all aspects of their lives.
Why Fortnite Is So Problematic
If all video games are potentially addictive, why is Fortnite taking the world by storm? The answer lies in its accessibility. Fortnite is free, and available on almost all platforms: Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. It also appeals to a wide age range. Its multiplayer modality provides a sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and accomplishment – all attractive traits for kids who may be missing those connections in other areas of their lives.
Helping your child stop unwanted gaming behavior is about steering them toward healthy habits and hobbies, and addressing unmet needs that cause them to withdraw from gaming.
The Edge has partnered with Game Quitters to offer a residential retreat program specifically for gamers, which begins with a 45-day digital detox and teaches mindfulness techniques for realistic and responsible technology use.
To learn more about how we can help your son become a quitter, talk to us today.
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