Fortnite Addiction: New Craze?
If you haven’t been living under a rock, you might have heard of a little game by the name of Fortnite. It has taken the world by storm, hitting peaks of over 3.4 million concurrent players, and spanning every platform – from PCs to phones. The gameplay is an addicting mix of building and battle royale, pitting a hundred players against each other to loot, build, and kill until one victor remains. And it’s not just kids playing. From superstar athletes to A-list celebrities, it seems like everyone has caught Fortnite fever. During the world cup, several goal celebrations were lifted directly from Fortnite. Players had the game on their minds both on and off the pitch. It got so bad that the German team was forced to turn off the wifi at night in an attempt to curb the players’ gaming obsession. With this in mind, it seems natural that parents would be concerned about their own children’s gaming habits. Horror stories of addicted children going through fortnite withdrawals fighting against tired parents, begging for just one more late-night drop into Tilted Towers, or Tomato Town is commonplace. What then, makes Fortnite so much more addicting than any other game that came before it?
The actual, unsatisfying answer is nothing. While article after article might try to convince you that Fortnite is the most addicting game ever created, one must journey to the past in order to see that video game addiction is nothing new. Since the inception of video games, wildly exaggerated stories have become a common occurrence. Urban legends, of Space Invaders causing a shortage of yen in Japan and Pong cabinets stuffed until they burst with quarters, have been around forever. In the 80’s, parents lined up around the block and waited in line for hours to try to purchase the latest Mario game for Christmas. In the 90’s, violent video games like DOOM and Mortal Kombat were labeled as dangerous experiences that were corrupting America’s youth. Far more pervasive than Fortnite could ever hope to be, Minecraft has sold 144 million copies worldwide. Perhaps the reason that Minecraft addiction in young children has been glossed over is that it is seen as socially acceptable, and a constructive tool. Pokémon Go was a nationwide fad, with thousands taking to the streets in search of rare creatures. The popularity of League of Legends and Defense Of The Ancients (DOTA) 2 led to esports competitions with prize pools of over 21 million dollars.
Thankfully, for parents, the Fortnite pandemonium will eventually pass. Children and adults alike will latch onto the next big gaming trend. But it is important to realize that the number of players is only increasing year by year. With games now available on every device, it is easier than ever to play video games and to socially connect with peers through gaming. Fortnite addiction isn’t the problem facing parents this year, it is simply one of the most prominent symptoms of an ongoing trend dating back to the inception of video games.
