Fortnite has become one of today's video game phenomenons, capturing the already-tenuous attention spans of children and teenagers worldwide. Even NHL teams have banned the video game from locker rooms, citing the battle royale's addictive nature. Though there's much to appreciate about a free-to-play interactive experience, many parents have expressed concern about the perceived addictive nature of a game, as if the product itself has agency. Still, Fortnite has likely consumed many a child, leading to high-pitched, rage-fuelled shrieks of "MOM!!!" upon the slightest interruption.
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Enter Prince Harry, who has officially spoken out against the dangers Fortnite poses on society. The Duke of Sussex recently stopped by the YMCA to express his concerns, citing Epic Game's creation as "created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible.” Not only that, but he also pondered about why anyone would ever have Fortnite in their household to begin with. Aside from Fortnite concerns, Prince Harry also opened up about the dangers of social media, raising a few interesting points:
“It’s more dangerous because it’s normalized and there are no restrictions to it. We are in a mind-altering time. Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go, the only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied.”
Lest we forget the war on gaming harkens back to the Jack Thompson era, where a vocal critic attempted to draw parallels between video game violence and real-world violence. Given the booming industry of today, it's fair to say his cause faltered in the end. Yet Prince Harry appears willing to pick up the sword, albeit it for less misguided reasons than the Thompsons of yore. What do you think? Should Fortnite be taken more seriously, where matters of youth development are concerned?
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