You know what, I'm not OK with kids playing Fortnite.

[Dragon1893]

The peer pressure created by feeling left out because everyone else at school is playing it becomes hard to manage when something becomes this popular, especially when the game has a competitive nature.
Parents really need to stay on top of it from the start or it spirals out of control really fast. I know a few cases myself.

 

[Vincent Alexander]

We finally let our son start playing this about half a year back, and it immediately took over too. His grades dipped a bit, so we installed the nintendo app and limited his Fortnite time per day, and had a chat about him doing his chores, homework, and taking care of pets before he can get on each day. Games aren't something he deserves, but something he earns. His grades went back up and he is much better about it all now.

I'm not sure I buy the notion that this is just the same as the games that were popular when I was that age. There are new angles to which that make it more problematic, and while I don't think it's going to ruin a generation of children, I do think it's a bigger challenge to parents than ever. The YouTubers, streamers and 'influencers'. The Battle Pass scheme and daily challenges which are designed to encourage compulsive behaviour. It being a free, omnipresent and multiplayer online game which ramps up to the peer pressure factor ten fold. My much younger cousins are around that age and their mother is delighted when they play a video game that isn't Fortnite.

Click to shrink...

Agreed. This is way more than Pokemon cards back when I was in school.

 

[--R]

I'm sure that first weekend will go over super well.

Click to shrink...

So what? If he's that worried about that kid, it's better to have a bad day / weekend rather than him being addicted, isn't it?

 

[BarryFishFinger]

My son is almost 9 and has been on at me to play Fortnite for months. It's a flat no from me and will be for while. I know him well enough to know it won't do him any good.

 

[sfortunato]

Kids obsess about shit their friends are into.

*points to Pokemon cards being banned in schools*

Click to shrink...

Video games and online games in particular have a much greater influence on a kid's mind that a card game. This has been known for years.

 

[Boy Wander]

If only kids weren't alone and had parents to supervise em.
Hmm wait a minute..



Dude seriously



If your nephew responds when his parents forbid him to do something, then I'm sorry to say he was poorly raised in the first place

Click to shrink...

I'm sorry but this kind of off the cuff armchair amateur psycho babble really gets on my nerves. What a total load of utter bollocks. My son kicks off when I tell him to get off of his game. He's a teenager and he's doing well at school and is generally thought of as being polite. Who the fuck are you to be telling people you don't know how well their kids are being raised? Easy one line Internet response. Adds nothing. Means nothing.

 

[Silky]

Dumbasses on the internet telling people how

If only kids weren't alone and had parents to supervise em.
Hmm wait a minute..



Dude seriously



If your nephew responds when his parents forbid him to do something, then I'm sorry to say he was poorly raised in the first place

Click to shrink...

I often see posts like these when people are criticising the parents of mass murderers

 

[night814]

My kids aren't allowed to play this yet at least. Oldest is 7.5.

We have a rule, if there is a tantrum when stopping to play a game the switch goes away for a few days and she's not had many of them since the first few. She even stops now when she starts feeling grumpy.

I'm quite sure she could handle fortnite but I just think it's too violent for that age. All the neighbour kids play it though but I don't see this as a reason to let her play it.

But this is all part of parenting, letting a 8.5 year old sit alone in a room to play all day is not something you should do regardless of game. Always play with them or at least be close by.

Click to shrink...

That's basically how I operate with my kids, if you are playing something I have to be right next to you "In case you need help". They involve me too "look daddy I'm going so fast"(my son has been playing Burnout paradise lol). Get involved with the kids, why don't you play Fortnite with them OP?

 

[Deleted member 135]

Another issue is while it's easy to imagine that most parents today understand video games, them being GenX or older Millennials who grew up with them, you have to understand that the vast majority of people aren't enthusiasts and won't understand how radically different games are today from the games they played in their youth without proper education.

So its easy to say "hurr durr the parents should just PARENT" when you ignore that parents needs to be educated as much as their kids on the new era of games.

 

[Lys Skygge]

Kids obsess about shit their friends are into.

*points to Pokemon cards being banned in schools*

Click to shrink...

This.

I was definitely a little asshole when it came to Pokemon cards. My mom made me sell all of my Pokémon shit for only $50! (Though to be fair that was a lot of money for a 10 year old) because how obsessed I had become. Anyways, I was pissed for awhile, but I eventually got over it, and my friends slowly stopped caring about Pokémon and it got to a point that it was lame.

It wouldn't be until college that we started to find Pokémon to be cool again 😂. But I'm definitely not as obsessive as I was almost 20 years ago.

My mom took the right steps to curb my obsession and I'm better for it, and I got $50 out of the deal, I bought a cheap cd Walkman with the money.

Your nephews parents just need to have a heart to heart with him and restrict, if not outright ban Fortnite (including YouTube videos)

 

[night814]

Click to shrink...

My kids have a love hate relationship with Weird Al lol

 

[kiaaa]

My mom recently dug out my a bunch of my old school stuff from 1st and 2nd grade (I'm 29 now). We had short daily writing prompts. I managed to shoehorn video games into about 90% of them and I'm doing just fine nowadays. Kids are weird.

 

[justin haines]

My kids are 5 and 3.

So far I let them play some Nintendo, like Smash, Kart and Arms etc. Peggle 2....things like that.
I severely limit it to a once in a while thing. We play as a family, stuff like that. They know I like to game once in a while, but it isn't ALL we do.

I grew up gaming, and using it to escape a lot of my problems. Sometimes it helped me, but a lot of the time my parents let it consume me so they didn't have to deal with me. When I was younger I wasn't allowed to have ANY gaming and that did no help either.

Kids need parents to guide them. There are so many awesome games where a kid can have fun, learn a little, escape being a kid for an hour or two. I would push my kid in those directions and TALK to him about it. At the same time, local MP with his friends, or family will be promoted if it's the right game.

My kid playing games is just like every other aspect of his life. Confusing for a parent to sort through and decide what's best, but we take it 1 day at a time and use our knowledge to make the best moves.

I try to push him more in the direction of LEGO (the blocks) . Something I didn't have as a kid, and he is really taking to it. That's the job of a parent. If you think Fortnite is good for the kids life, let him be, or show him Breath of the Wild and sit down and play with him instead of expecting games to raise your child on weekends.

Me and my kid/will game together for the rest of our lives I'm sure. I will also parent for the rest of it and make sure it's not getting in the way of what is important. It's not that much different than regulating his TV time.

 

[Black_Red]

It has nothing on NEEDING to be at a certain hour for WOE on ragnarok online (weekly evento where the while server fights on big teams of like 50 people if I remeber correctly)


I was terrible during that year (wanting to skip family events or dinner during that event).

 

[Inno2d]

My nieces are addicted to Fortninte too. They're 10 and 7. I never thought little girls would get addicted to a shooter.
They don't see it like that though, it's more like hanging out with their friends, getting the cool dances and building stuff. They rarely even get a kill.
My sister and I played a lot of videogames together when we were kids though so she knows how addicting it can be and to regulate it.

They basicly have to earn playtime by doing chores and homework. And they have to take a break every hour. They can voicechat with friends but not with randoms.

My sister told me the other day they have never been so eager to help around the house lol.
I haven't noticed any insufferable behaviour from them yet, they've been playing for a couple of months now. But I have seen an increased interest in watching streamers and they're picking up "gamer" lingo lol.

 

[Kyzer]

Keeping it to weekends is probably only making it even more holy to him too idk OP good luck

 

[Deleted member 39184]

What if I told you most kids are insufferable little....gifts of joy.

 

[Post Call Gaming]

Video games and children is, and will remain, a controversial topic for years to come.

There *was* recently a large prospective study that found that children who were exposed to "violent video games" were not necessarily more violent or had more externalizing behaviors (tantrums, bickering, name-calling, physical aggression) than their peers who had measurably less exposure. Studies like these are fraught with comparison difficulties - e.g. what constitutes a "violent" video game versus one that isn't? - but overall, I think we are starting to see more of the "nurturing" aspect come to light.

Children should be allowed to play whatever they want to play with guidance from their parents and mentors. This is no different than how kids select movies to see in the theatre; decide which books and toys to play with; what constitutes appropriate vs. non-appropriate manners and behaviors (sharing over stealing; talking over yelling); and who they should and should not associate with (to a degree; this is a controversial topic in and of itself).

Parents are the secure and important anchor for children's attachment and how kids learn to grow. Their participation and observation over what their children does and can alter how they behave.

 

[Deleted member 176]

Dumbasses on the internet telling people how

Click to shrink...

I always hate this. You don't suddenly become more informed because you're a parent. A lot of parents think they're smart for giving their kids fluoride-free toothpaste or keeping them from getting vaccinated.

 

[EloquentM]

If your nephew responds when his parents forbid him to do something, then I'm sorry to say he was poorly raised in the first place

Click to shrink...

what a shitty viewpoint you have.

 

[Deleted member 8784]

I imagine a lot of it has also something to do with the Fear of Missing Out effect, which is something we never had in school. Back in the day, the game used to come out and that was that.

I know there's always been haves and have nots in a way, but imagine being the only kid in the playground who doesn't know about "that" awesome limited time event thingy.

 

[GarthLordOfTheSith]

God Fortnite is all my nephews talk about. And they don't understand why I know nothing about the game and they don't understand when I mention "I'm playing this rpg".

The shitty part is they used to love games with good stories and shit so we could talk about games. All they play now is Fortnite and is part of the reason why I hate Fortnite.

 

[asynchrny]

Why not play with him?

I also really enjoy the approach of "kid, you should be outside playing with your friends" when all of his friends are online playing Fortnite.

 

[Wat]

I don't care for it, but at least underneath the cosmetics and psychological hooks Fortnite is an actual game and not pay-to-win garbage.

 

[aevanhoe]

Resetera always gets mad when I say this—because they turned out fine—but prepubescent kids shouldn't be playing or watching any kind of shooter, even cartoonish ones. I say this as someone who grew up playing Wolf3D and Doom.

Click to shrink...

Please don't assume what kids who aren't your own should or shouldn't be playing or watching. Good parenting beats bans.

 

[Karlinel]

I tendo to agree with OP, today's kids are bombarded in a way hard to visualize for us GenX people. At least we could stop seeing pokestuff turning off tv, but now they have twitch, youtube et al reminding you "hey, look at these Fortnite stuff!" even when you try to watch something else.
So yes, strict parenting (which includes cutting off entirely if it needs to be) is quite a bit harder. With older kids you can always rationalize but younger ones are harder to reach without falling into manipulation, and that's not pleasant for any part.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

Online games encourage this obsessive behavior, especially among children who lack the self control to regulate it in a healthy way. The solution would be to set healthy limits on game time and encourage them to engage in other activities.

Personally I think 8 is way too young for online games of this kind, but I also understand that the reality is kids are going to play games like this. The potential for harm in a game like Fortnite is less than an MMO, so it could be worse, but parents really need to stay on top of what their kids are doing online.

 

[Antrax]

OP, it should go like this with kids:
1) Set appropriate limits on them doing digital fun of all kinds.
2) Make sure their options are age appropriate.
3) Let the kid pick from the options what they wanna do with their previously set block of time for digital fun.

None of this is Fortnite specific, and if you're one of those adults that would allow more gaming just because it's a game you personally like, then you need to get some perspective. The kid's playing a game you don't like, but if they're doing it under the above conditions, then seems like you're the one who needs to mature a bit.

God Fortnite is all my nephews talk about. And they don't understand why I know nothing about the game and they don't understand when I mention "I'm playing this rpg".

The shitty part is they used to love games with good stories and shit so we could talk about games. All they play now is Fortnite and is part of the reason why I hate Fortnite.

Click to shrink...

I think this is the definition of OldManYellingAtClouds.jpg

 

[aevanhoe]

Yeah totally, I absolutely believe that parents need to manage this stuff too. I just find it really odd that people act like this is some new thing that's out there to destroy the youth. If we go back to any time period, kids have always been obsessive about this fad or that.

Click to shrink...

Exactly, nothing new.

 

[Croc Man]

The brick wall thing can done by anybody who is deeply concentrating on something, not just kids or videogames.

Totally agree with those that are uncomftable with how these games are designed to be so addictive.

 

[Dizastah]

Caught my son watching porn on his phone a week ago so I banned him from electronics including his PS4 and Fortnite for a little while. Now it seems like I have my old son back again. No more Fortnite 80% of the day and the house computer's history is not full of Fortnite YouTube videos. He interested in family time and actually communicates......though I'm not sure if its genuine or to get his stuff back quicker. He'll get his stuff back........just with boundaries.

 

[GarthLordOfTheSith]

I think this is the definition of OldManYellingAtClouds.jpg

Click to shrink...

You're probably right. (Note I don't mention this to them at all. And I do try to play with them, I just don't like the game and I don't understand their infatuation with it and I miss having common interest in games.)

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

Yeah I think its irresponsible on behalf of developers to specifically design and market a highly addictive game like that with children in mind.

Especially for pre-teens I can imagine that it has negative effects on their mental and social development.

Yes, ultimately its the parents responsibility, but they are up against a behemoth here.

I really wouldnt be surprised if games like that get an 18+ rating out of principle at some time. Once we understand the developmental effects it has on kids better.

 

[Deleted member 8118]

A lot of that falls on parenting and monitoring time that they spend playing.

Click to shrink...

So, parents are to blame here? Are we not going to talk about companies and how they are hiring psychologists to make their games as addictive as possible?

For the person who said that "this isn't new" because of social pressures being around, you really haven't researched how pinpointed marketing is now. This isn't just social pressure, it's manipulation.

 

[Dr. Mario]

I don't think the shooting is necessarily a problem, but the mechanic of the whole class ganging up on each other until there's one winner does create a kind of unhealthy competitive social dynamic. Like it's fine in moderation, but everyone knows a bunch of parents can't moderate, and it negatively affects the rest of the class.

 

[Mr.Branding]

Lol at people saying "bad parenting".
As a father, I say: good luck with being a parent, guys.

 

[Thekiddfran]

Yeah its crazy how times have changed for kids now. Half the day is spent playing fortnite while the other half is spent watching other people play fortnite on Youtube. Kids don't watch TV or cartoons now, its just youtubers.

My Fiances Nephew who is 8 wants to be a "Youtuber" when he grows up and also dressed up as "Fortnite" for Holloween. Crazy

 

[Robochimp]

I see what it does to my 8.5 years old nephew. Ever since he started playing Fortnite with his friends (the past 8 months or so) he has turned, by degrees, into an insufferable, early blooming adolescent. He has been playing video games for many years but it was never like this. Crazy tantrums because he is asked to take a break for 10 minutes to have lunch. I enter the room while he is playing and he won't even acknowledge me. I need to repeat my sentence multiple times before it even registers

Click to shrink...

My 7.5 year old doesnt play fortnite and he's the same way when family comes over.

Ever since your nephew started playing Fortnite he's gotten older and doesn't yet understand the desire for small talk with his uncle. He's not a little kid anymore, it's an awkward time for both of you. You can't just walk into the room and have a little kid yell with excitement, you flip them upside down and everyone have a good laugh.

 

[Little Old Man]

Resetera always gets mad when I say this—because they turned out fine—but prepubescent kids shouldn't be playing or watching any kind of shooter, even cartoonish ones. I say this as someone who grew up playing Wolf3D and Doom.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I played so many games way before I should have done.

The distinction I would make these days with online only titles is the ability to utterly consume yourself in the game and associated media which to me makes it worse. Unlimited youtube videos, grinding aspects of the game, there's no 'ending' to the game unlike old single player only titles of the past, 24/7 online connectivity with your friends (no friends online, make some new ones!), game and menus structured around alluring MTXs for cosmetics.

 

[Hydetsu]

Change Wifi password OP, problem solved

 

[Rosebud]

Sounds like me and my friends with Pokemon back in the day.

The kid is being a kid.

 

[LinLeigh]

I've seen it with my younger nephews with any iPad/amazon Fire games or apps. Specifically it being like talking to a brick wall when they're engrossed in something.

I'm thinking it's somewhat ok if they're focusing on something... but you have to have limits on how much they can play, and strictly enforce them. Otherwise it seems like it can be a rapid descent into tantrums and refusal to do anything else. And no iPad or YouTube while doing other things (e.g. eating).

Click to shrink...

I used to try and read at the dinner table until my mum banned books during dinner.

Kids get obsessed with a lot of stuff.

 

[Deleted member 36493]

I vaguely remember there being NDS games that were educational. Don't see too much of those anymore.

AC could have something going on with Discovery Tour though. Would've been cool to have something like that in history class, sometimes textbooks don't cut it.

 

[i'm not a rob0t]

lol

Click to shrink...

 

[Deleted member 27471]

It's not the parents. Sounds like they do a reasonable job limiting to weekends and taking it away when it becomes enough of a problem.

The issue is more of a social structure one. Most youth want to keep up with what's popular and what all their friends are doing. That's what make it challenging. We live in a time that consuming media is held up higher than anything else. Look how much time people spend talking about media here on Era. These youth aren't doing anything different than what most people on era do, the difference is in the lack of emotional regulation and other developmental differences because they're still developing.

 

[MorshuTheTrader]

It's tough, because as a kid my parents wouldn't care what I played as long as I was getting good grades and still going outside and hanging out with my friends. But none of us really had access to online games until we were like 13/14, so we actually had to be together in person to hang out. And even then, the games we eventually played online (like Halo) didn't have these GaaS features designed to keep you coming back.

 

[mute]

I'm lucky I guess all my son wants to play so far is DQ builders.

 

[Pancracio17]

Social pressures have existed for kids since the dawn of time. This isn't new.

Click to shrink...

Yup. Pokemon did this to kids, Minecraft too.
Kids just obsess over things they are into.

 

[bionic77]

More than the game itself as a parent I personally don't like kids interacting with some of the horrible adults and teenagers online that play games like fortnite.

But you should be developing who you are going to be as a young child. Parents are kind of cheating their kids out of that development if they spend too much time on any video game or honestly any kind of entertainment (the same can be said for television).

 

[Fitts]

I've never played Fortnite but I love it. It's a giant online daycare.