The Mainstream Media’s Inevitable Attack on “Addictive” Fortnite Has Begun

Megalith

Megalith

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Eurogamer has rounded up a number of Fortnite-related stories to demonstrate how the co-op survival title is being used by the media to sensationalize the harmful impact of video games. Outlets such as The Daily Telegraph argue that Fortnite is far too addictive and prevents children from living healthy lifestyles. Naturally, the developers, and not the parents, are being blamed.

Shirley McKenzie, who The Sun reveals is a single mother, says she had to buy a projector for their console after her 12 and nine-year-old smashed a telly in an argument over the game. Here's the quote: "Fortnite is just awful. Both my boys are completely obsessed." Call center worker Kelly, from Cardiff, says she's forked out over £400 over the last three months on Fortnite because her 12-year-old son Tyler is addicted to the game.
 
Hi, My child has a problem, an addiction if you will. I keep feeding that addiction and my child doesn't seem to be getting any better, only worse. I blame everyone. We must ban everything so we can help my child's addiction. /s

Dear parents, fucking be a parent and not your kids best friend, you are not doing them any good giving them whatever they want.
 
co-op games are extremly frustrating especialy for kids ( even more so for ppl stuck with a kid in their team ), i think they should limit the age to Pegi16 or 18 when selling these kind games.
kids should only be allowed to play solo games, allowing them to play multiplayer ruins the experience for everyone and introduce the kids to the colorfull world of voice chat with a whole new range of foul language.
 
Here is an idea, Play the game with your child. While doing so, you can subliminally set boundaries for your play time. I use the word "your" because now you have become a "team". Also, it will build your relationship with them. Rather than being the mean old mom, you can be the cool mom who plays Fortnite with me & takes me to my favorite place to eat after a victory. Getting involved in a your child's life is not hard. You just have to want to do it. A little reverse psychology never hurts too :)
 
alamox said:
co-op games are extremly frustrating especialy for kids ( even more so for ppl stuck with a kid in their team ), i think they should limit the age to Pegi16 or 18 when selling these kind games.
kids should only be allowed to play solo games, allowing them to play multiplayer ruins the experience for everyone and introduce the kids to the colorfull world of voice chat with a whole new range of foul language.
Click to expand...
How about you don't let your kids buy those games, and other parents can decide themselves.
 
If only the kids were playing PUBG, then they would be perfect little angels.
 
alamox said:
co-op games are extremly frustrating especialy for kids ( even more so for ppl stuck with a kid in their team ), i think they should limit the age to Pegi16 or 18 when selling these kind games.
kids should only be allowed to play solo games, allowing them to play multiplayer ruins the experience for everyone and introduce the kids to the colorfull world of voice chat with a whole new range of foul language.
Click to expand...


F the F-ing F'rs, whose F-ing F-Up F-up F'd up this F-ing F_up. WTF?

The best part of online is this and 12 year olds trying to convince me they know what to do with their little limp noodles on me or my mom.

Dangit, now I want mac n cheese. Sigh..too many calories.

One could always play Rogue Warrior oif Course. Enough swearing you'll think you are online anyways, even in the single player.
 
I have a firewall rule which turns everything off when I decide. If all is cool, it goes off at 10pm weekdays. If they piss me off, it's just OFF. Don't like it? More incentive to grow up, get a job, and get your own place. Or at least not be a jerk to the nice person paying the bills.

And my god - complaining about forking over tons of cash to support an addict - and blaming someone else. <facepalm>
 
IKV1476 said:
Hi, My child has a problem, an addiction if you will. I keep feeding that addiction and my child doesn't seem to be getting any better, only worse. I blame everyone. We must ban everything so we can help my child's addiction. /s

Dear parents, fucking be a parent and not your kids best friend, you are not doing them any good giving them whatever they want.
Click to expand...
Later, the same woman was overheard saying, "Cocaine is far too addictive! No matter how much cocaine I buy for my kids, it's never enough!"
 
But games are addictive... I'd have my kids tell you but I stopped feeding them and they are dead....

Now where is my controller? Time for rocket league. I need to open some crates....
 
I don't give a monkey testicle about the above. Is the game good? Is it full of cheaters? Can I learn it quickly without being frustrated by getting killed every other minute?

And can it run well on my sig system?

That's all I need to know.

Thanks.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
My kid plays Fortnight..he gets off when I tell him to get off. It doesn't seem to be a problem for me.
Click to expand...

How dare you be a responsible parent, you are making the other parents look bad.

But really, how hard is it to say no?
If my kid started acting up over a game, that game would be gone from the house.
If they continued to cause a problem, the console would go next.

If they broke the TV, it would all be gone, they would be grounded, and their allowance money for the next year would go toward buy the replacement TV.
 
nutzo said:
How dare you be a responsible parent, you are making the other parents look bad.

But really, how hard is it to say no?
If my kid started acting up over a game, that game would be gone from the house.
If they continued to cause a problem, the console would go next.

If they broke the TV, it would all be gone, they would be grounded, and their allowance money for the next year would go toward buy the replacement TV.
Click to expand...
It is not hard to say "no" at all.

I can provide you an extensive list of women who have no trouble at all saying "no" if you like.
 
nutzo said:
How dare you be a responsible parent, you are making the other parents look bad.

But really, how hard is it to say no?
If my kid started acting up over a game, that game would be gone from the house.
If they continued to cause a problem, the console would go next.

If they broke the TV, it would all be gone, they would be grounded, and their allowance money for the next year would go toward buy the replacement TV.
Click to expand...
My dad would just beat my ass so bad i couldn't sit for a week and ground me for the whole summer!
And when i say beat my ass i mean he would whip us on the back of the legs with a belt cuz god knows that hurts way more than your ass!
 
MTDEW said:
My dad would just beat my ass so bad i couldn't sit for a week and ground me for the whole summer!
And when i say beat my ass i mean he would whip us on the back of the legs with a belt cuz god knows that hurts way more than your ass!
Click to expand...

I was made familiar with a saw horse and canoe paddle on more than one occasion.
 
MTDEW said:
My dad would just beat my ass so bad i couldn't sit for a week and ground me for the whole summer!
And when i say beat my ass i mean he would whip us on the back of the legs with a belt cuz god knows that hurts way more than your ass!
Click to expand...

Now days he would be arrested and tossed into jail for child abuse.
And they wonder why kids misbehave so much now days?​

I remember a few well deserved swats in my younger years too.

Luckily my kid is smart enough to rarely do anything worth punishing.
A simple no TV or no Computer for the day was usually enough of a punishment to fix the behavior.
 
alamox said:
co-op games are extremly frustrating especialy for kids ( even more so for ppl stuck with a kid in their team ), i think they should limit the age to Pegi16 or 18 when selling these kind games.
kids should only be allowed to play solo games, allowing them to play multiplayer ruins the experience for everyone and introduce the kids to the colorfull world of voice chat with a whole new range of foul language.
Click to expand...


Problem is no one pays attention to game ratings.

Most parents just assume "video games are kid stuff, so all video games must be OK for all ages, regardless what the box says". Of the - maybe - 25% who pay any attention at all to game appropriateness, most are won over by crying kids about how "all their friends are allowed to play it, leaving us few responsible parents in the shitty position of seeming unreasonable, because we are the only ones not letting their kids play whatever games they want.

Now, if parents could be referred to Child Protective Services for Exposing their children to games rated "M for Mature", then we might get somewhere...

All that being said, I truly believe that these games are addictive enough to be a problem, which is why we need strong parents to police acceptable use.

My stepson has strict limits for how much "Roblox" he can play, and if he misbehaves, one of the first punishments is the loss of Roblox. Now, I have never known an addict having their substance taken away, but when Roblox is removed, the combination of tears, fits of rage, and self loathing he expresses can't be far off.
 
Dekoth-E- said:
My kid plays Fortnight..he gets off when I tell him to get off. It doesn't seem to be a problem for me.
Click to expand...
I have a daughter that plays it a lot. We control her play time and she minds us. Last time she didn't mind us, I took the PS4 and locked it up for a few days. Haven't had an issue since.
I've already heard all these parents I know freaking out. Relax. It's a game - she plays with friends from school. I can hear the volume and what they say. I've heard the occasional cuss word, but nothing too bad. (My daughter, to my knowledge, has not cursed yet...)
I've played the game - it's fun. I tried it on the PS4 and realized I can't use joysticks. I'm only a keyboard and mouse kind of guy.
 
I hate this fucking game! My kid absolutely loves it and plays it all the time. We used to play Borderlands, Dead Space 3 and Left 4 Dead all the time together (I built him a PC that sits next to mine) but since he's found Fortnite he's stopped completely.

He wants me to play with him and I do occasionally but usually rage quit within 30 minutes.

I really don't get what is appealing about this game. You drop in.... Start looking around for a gun and supplies... Find some BAM! You were shot once and you're dead. Or worse, you find all kinds of good weapons, get full shield get plenty of health packs then head into battle, walk around a corner and BAM! You were shot once and you're dead and lose everything.

It is the stupidest fucking game I've ever seen. I can't even type out a forum post about it without getting mad lol
 
Ironically the PvE side of the game really is fun, especially now theyre making so much money from PvP that they eased up on the P2W RNG stuff.
 
I've had some friends tell me to check it out but it didn't really look that great to me. I do admit that Kyle's many stream posts for Hunt have got me at a little curious but fortnite not so much.
 
EJ42 said:
It's almost like punishment is unpleasant.
Click to expand...

True, and maybe I'm still falling into the pitfall of expecting more mature reactions from children than I should, but the response that having Roblox removed elicits is much stronger than I would expect from just your run of the mill punishment.

I think these games become more than just a pleasant distraction or entertainment for kids, but rather become a complete obsession.
 
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