US expert to warn Aussie parents about dangers of Fortnite
A LEADING US kids’ health expert is coming to Australia to warn about the dangers of Fortnite and will join an Aussie parenting guru to discuss strategies to help mums and dads wean their kids off the popular video game. Here’s a taster.
Parenting
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A LEADING US children’s health expert is coming to Australia to warn parents about the dangers of the popular video game Fortnite.
Dr Michael Rich, director of the Centre on Media and Child Health at Boston Hospital, will talk about the way children’s personal use of screens has led to increases in fatigue, anxiety and distraction, and decreases in empathy.
“Fortnite’s combination of weapon glorification and cartoonish violence is concerning, as the player sees the world through a lens that values weaponry, but downplays and makes abstract the damage weapons cause,” Dr Rich said.
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“Each bloodless death of another player, not just a computer-generated avatar, is simply one mission accomplished, one step closer to winning — time to hit the next target.”
The concerns of Dr Rich, also an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, will be presented at the Australian Council for Educational Leaders conference next week, as the Fortnite craze continues.
Children are now receiving online coaching. One-on-one tuition for under $30 an hour is widely available, and is done via Skype or using the in-game voice chat.
Cassie Campbell of Beaumaris said her sons Sam, 11, Jack, 10, and Max, 8, all loved the game.
“On weekends they probably play two to three hours a day but it depends on sport,” she said. “I’ll make them stop so they can go out and play and do sport.
“They are pretty competitive and they love to do the game’s floss dance around the house.”
Australian parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson doesn’t see Fortnite as all bad, and understands why some parents may seek that coaching themselves.
“If your child excelling at Fortnite is important, there's no reason they shouldn't be given opportunities to develop. In some cases, kids and adults make a lot of money as e-sports experts,” he said.
“In the end, if kids' lives are balanced and they want to play Fortnite and even have coaching, I don't have an issue.
“But balance is key. We need to ensure that screen use doesn't become problematic.”
He and Dr Rich will discuss strategies to help parents struggling with their children’s screen use, at an Australian Council on Children and the Media seminar next Thursday.
Originally published as US expert to warn Aussie parents about dangers of Fortnite