Fortnite debate rages online, with parents restricting game time

A nationwide debate over whether Fortnite: Battle Royale is too dangerous for young players has raged online over the past week, with some Aussie parents banning the game from their household.

A nationwide debate over whether Fortnite: Battle Royale is too dangerous for young players has raged online over the past week, with some Aussie parents banning the game from their household and others blaming a lack of rules for children’s overuse of the video game.

The argument emerged after a News Corp Australia special report found Australian children as young as seven were attacking their parents, engaging in excessive game play, and skipping school over their obsession with Fortnite.

At the same time, the World Health Organisation formally recognised gaming disorder as an addiction, though the move was opposed by game publishers worldwide.

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Parents are debating whether Fortnite is too dangerous for children to play. Picture: Epic Games

But parents experimenting with the removal of Fortnite reported good results after reading the report last Sunday.

Reader Ben commented that his wife “banned any screen time for one week” for their eight and six-year-old boys.

“Result? Amazing transformation. They’re playing with each other, having fun. We are amazed, to be honest, and not one complaint.”

Another parent of an eight-year-old boy, Rebecca, said playing Fortnite triggered aggression and misbehaviour at school in her child but after restricting game time, “we noticed the bad behaviours only showed themselves when he played the game”.

The boy has since decided to give up Fortnite regularly, though she cautioned that he was often bullied at school as a result.

Many readers blamed parents for “allowing” their children to become aggressive and addicted to playing the video game, however, or for being given access to Fortnite before reaching 12 years of age, as recommended.

“If the kids are addicted, it’s not their fault,” Levente said.

“The fault lies with the parents who let them play it too much.”

But a father of teenagers, Anthony, said the problem was not that simple to solve.

“Oh, the ignorance and arrogance of some people saying just turn the game off, take it away from them,” he said.

“You are in for a rude awakening when they hit that great age.”

The debate came as WHO officially recognised gaming disorder as “impaired control over gaming” to the detriment of the sufferer’s social, family, school and professional life despite “negative consequences”.

But the move met opposition from gaming groups, with Global Video Game Industry Associations branding it without “sufficiently robust evidence”.

Originally published as Fortnite debate rages online, with parents restricting game time