Should Games Like Fortnite Be Banned?

Back in April, the BBC published an article discussing whether Prince Harry is right in wanting to ban Fortnite. At a recent event, the Duke of Sussex said, “That game shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household?” he went on to say, “It’s catered to addicts, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.

He continued, “It’s like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down.”

He also said that social media was “more addictive than alcohol and drugs”, showing that he has strong opinions about modern people’s online activities in general, not just online gaming.

What is Fortnite?

Fortnite was released in 2017 by Epic Games. It offers three main game modes, the most popular one being its free-to-play Battle Royale. 100 real-life players take part in a fight to be the last player standing. Each player can roam the map in search of loot containing weapons, items, and modes of transport.

The idea is to either work in groups, teams, or as individuals to kill enemy players and be the last remaining player (or players). As of March 2019, there are over 200 million active players worldwide. Over half of the players (potentially addicted) to the game are aged between 10 and 25; that’s across all the available platforms.

Around 15% of Fortnite players have reportedly missed going to School in order to play the game or to recuperate after staying up all night. Vicky Winstanley recently made an appearance on ITV’s This Morning show after her 12-year-old son was hospitalized following multiple seizures after playing the game excessively.

Can games be addictive?

A talking point that has been going on for many years is whether games can be addictive. Health professionals, the gaming industry, gamers, and parents have been battling this topic for as long as I can remember. As an avid gamer myself (and a parent), I can see both sides of the coin.

My own gaming addiction came about from the release of World of Warcraft back in 2004. I can vividly remember getting home from work and logging onto the game, usually missing dinner. I’d only realize what time it was when the 3 AM shutdown occurred for the game to apply updates or weekly maintenance.

Hours and days often merged into each other to the point that I was feeling the effects both at work and in my home life. I was struggling to function due to the lack of sleep. I was forgetting to eat/drink, and from staring at a screen for hours on end. In 2007, I became a parent for the first time (I now have 3 children); thankfully, my kids were the main reason I dug myself out of this trap!

According to PsychGuides.com, video game addiction is very much a real thing. They state that video games are designed to be addictive; they’re not difficult enough to make you give up, but aren’t so easy that you can always complete them, leaving you wanting more. They compare video game addiction to a recognized addiction – gambling. We’d love to know your thoughts on this!

Should some video games be banned?

This is such a tough question to answer, and I don’t think it ever truly can be answered. If it could be answered, is it even enforceable? The issue is, that every single person will have a view on this: gamers, parents, psychologists, developers, etc. If one person deems a game to be banned, another will argue the case. If we ban some video games, where’s the line? How can you justify banning one type of game and not another?

I’m a firm believer in “everything in moderation”. If you’re going to let your kids play games like Fortnite, set a curfew. If you yourself feel like you’re addicted to a game, try to replace it with something else for a while. I’ve been honest and admitted I was well and truly addicted to WoW. I won’t lie, I still play plenty of video games – I love them! But I now know how to control my video game ‘intake’. I hope that I can pass this on and instil this in my children too.