I have to admit it. My son is also a fan of the fashion video game, which already has 125 million players in the world, and I don't know how to manage the relationship between the child and Fortnite well.
Therefore, after reading in the press this week two important incidents with dependence on the game, I have decided to investigate to understand how it works, why it hooks both children and teenagers, and how to control it so that it does not become a problem with the return to school.
I do not understand what is going through the head of my son and his friends. Only a few months ago they were happy to play ping pong or soccer in the street when one of them didn't rain. Now, they prefer to stay in their room and talk on headphones with a microphone, while playing games and more games to this happy game.
It has been reaching the city after the summer holidays and has been shot at the console "Because I haven't played with my friends for too long". And surprisingly, there were more than two and three at that time playing Fortnite. And I trusting that maybe he had gone out of style!
And this happens only a few days before going back to school. What will happen when I have to get up early, study, do jobs, extracurricular ...? I want to tackle the issue now!
Why do Fortnite video games like them so much?
¿What is Fortnite: Battle Royal? This game, created by Epic Games, involves 100 players who jump from a flying bus to a small island and then fight each other until there is only one left. Hidden around the island are weapons and objects, including rifles, traps and grenade launchers, and players must arm themselves while exploring the landscape and buildings.
As the game progresses, the playable area of the land is continuously reduced, so participants are forced to get closer and closer.The last survivor is the winner.
Jorge Flores Fernández, founder and director of Friendly Screens, explains some of the secrets that make this game a mass phenomenon:
Gather Two very attractive genres for children and that have triumphed in other video games: construction scenarios (type Minecraft) and action (Call of Duty 'more light').
Is on-line and multiplayer. That means it is possible to team up with a friend or group of friends and compete in pairs or in a squad of four. It also allows you to play alone and the game assigns you to other participants.
Add a social element, since Participants can chat while playing using headphones and microphones. Many children now form teams and spend much of their leisure playing together. Also allows socialize and meet new people.
Graphically it is very attractive: It's almost like a softened animated game, with very bright graphics, almost cartoon, not as realistic as other battle games.
It's fun, with a very basic sense of humor. Many ridiculous items and costumes (like spacesuits and dinosaurs). The child can also perform different dance moves during the game. The one of 'The Floss', for example, inspired by the viral video of the boy dancing with Katy Perry during his appearance on 'Saturday Night Live', became a phenomenon among children. Even soccer players like Griezmann use them to celebrate their goals!
The games are limited in time, which allows the player to rectify as many times as he wants. It becomes more enjoyable because it has a beginning and an end, the games are not eternalized.
Many streamers Y youtubers They talk about the game and show how they play. If there is someone relevant who likes it, it will make you more hobbies. In fact, Fortnite is the most watched game on the specialized Twitch gaming channel.
It is free and cross platform. That is you can connect at any time "To take a game". It is available for game consoles, computer, tablet and smartphone.
The game developer adds new elements, functions and game modes weekly. That means there is always a new reason to come back and play. You have to brag among friends to have the latest version!
Alex Cánovas, of Xataka, video game expert and renowned Fortnite fan, explains that:
"I like it for the Battle Royale genre itself (you against 99 other players and only one can be left), which in this case is very well taken."
Also, being a fun game to watch "It makes the audience of these content creators, which is usually a fairly young audience, easily loaded into the Fortnite Battle Royale car, being free."
Also the fact that the objects that can be bought, are purely cosmetic, that do not give playable advantages. In fact, if that were the case, the game would be broken: if I know that someone is going to beat me because they have paid more than me, I will not return. ”
Is it a dangerous game?
After listing the reasons why this game attracts our children, it seems that even I have felt like playing. But it is not our intention to attract new followers, much less. We want to understand why they like to remedy a possible addiction. And we know what we are talking about!
The National Police has published in its Twitter account, just over a month ago, recommendations for use for security reasons.
Hooked on #Fortnite?
- National Police (@policia) July 31, 2018
We give you keys to play with #security:
☑️Care with “paVos” for free or cheaper than on the official website
☑️Activate double authentication in: Account> Password and security
☑️It's free, don't get charged for downloading pic.twitter.com/152GE07S2e
The risks of misuse of the game
1. Unjustified money expenses. In the last week alone, we have known at least two problematic cases of children and adolescents addicted to Fortnite. On Sunday, a Welsh mother, Cleo Duckett, denounced in the United Kingdom Metro edition, that her 10-year-old son spent more than 1,000 pounds (about 1,115 euros) in Fortnite, not knowing that it was real money. The game, like all apps, allows you to buy virtual products just by linking a card.
And that, taking into account that the game is free and that new elements can be unlocked as the game progresses without paying anything. So ... What do our children buy? What is the money spent on?
The purchase of a 'Premium Combat Pass' with the currency of the game ("turkeys") allows you to access exclusive clothing and items or make weekly challenges to earn more points and access more items. It is also possible to buy new levels to be able to play them immediately, without having unlocked them while playing.
None of the paid items provide an advantage in the game; They are purely aesthetic. However, it 'sells a lot' to have the latest outfit and children will want to continue playing to unlock those items or buy them. Explains the psychologist Eparquio Delgado, of the Rayuela Psychological Center, that:
“It's the same as before wanting to have the latest fashion shoes, only now in a virtual way. But not getting it, it will not cause any trauma, just as it did not cause us before to those of us who are parents now. You just have to explain it to him. ”
2. Aggression. Another Australian mother told the Mirror that her 14-year-old son gave him a header for confiscating his Playstation, as a measure to control his Fornite addiction. According to the mother, Britta Hodge, the teenager spends day and night in front of the screen.
"In the 80s, when we started playing video games, the big fear was that a violent game made us violent people," says the psychologist.
“And now we know that this is not the case: we have not all been killing in the street. They are just games. The difference is in how they are managed. If we see that the effect of the game on our children is positive, they have fun, we should not worry. The warning signal appears if the effects they cause on them are negative: it makes them angry, in a bad mood and even aggressive. ”
In addition, unlike other similar games such as The Call of Duty (for those over 18 years old) and as we have said before, Fortnite has a friendly visual style without representing bloody violence. There are shots, but in a world not real, not threatening.
3. Addiction. Like any activity that generates a reward, it can lead to abusive use. In fact, “the first category defined as addictive on the Internet is the multiplayer online game, to which Fornite belongs,” comments Jorge Flores.
But the concept of video game addiction is very controversial within the medical community and, although the World Health Organization has recognized game disorder as a disease, there are researchers and scientists who disagree with this decision, according to a BBC article. Fortnite, for example, does not contain unique game systems, which makes it more addictive than other action video games.
4. Security How can we know who our son talks to or plays with? "Playing, when they are young (the game only authorizes from 12 years, although there are children of all ages) or little maturity, they end up relaxing, talking with other unknown players, and that's where the problems begin," explains Jorge Flowers. And he adds that "control in this regard is difficult."
5. Side effects. And there are also the dangers associated with those three hours spent playing: sedentary, obesity, poor posture or visual effort.
6. Socialization. You can only play one on each platform, so friends are getting used to staying at home to be in the same game and talk on the headphones. Non-digital, direct contact between children suffers to group other leisure activities.
How can we control its use
According to Jorge Flores Fernández, director of Friendly Screens, there are some keys to manage it with a common sense and head:
1. Limit leisure hours with game consoles, offering other non-digital alternatives, helping them discover other possibilities. Of course, there are non-negotiable limits: family food, study and night rest, trying to avoid using the screens one hour before going to bed. It has been shown that using them makes it difficult to fall asleep.
The maximum time depends on the age and whether or not they carry out more activities with screens. Maybe on weekends they ask to play more, and we should look for leisure alternatives.
On the Xbox, PlayStation or Switch you can use parental controls to limit the duration of game sessions (or ban them altogether at some point).
What can be done is to reach a consensus, such as letting him finish the game (they usually last an average of 20 minutes) if instead he leaves the console without protesting, or does not take it the next day ... So you will see that we understand him, because Leaving the game in the middle of one means leaving your teammates in the lurch and they will lose all the points they have earned during that match. That will make the son very angry, so we better schedule time to warn him that "That game will be the last of the day." And we all win.
2. Ensure your safety. A really difficult task, because there is no way to control who they play or talk to, if the other players are random.
The best we can do is let them know that we are there if they 'notice' something strange, that they understand that they can talk to us about anything.Y explain the dangers of sharing any type of data with these unknown players which is associated with the game when it is not in a team with friends. It can become an apology to unite players of different ages and it is important that you do not give any information of yours during the game.
Add Álex Cánovas de Xataka, who "The chat does allow you to block the other three players so you don't have to listen to them, if we don't want to, with just a couple of clicks."
Also, as recommended by the National Police: "Activate double authentication in account, password and security".
So watch your conversations in case you notice something weird, because they usually speak loudly when they get excited playing! I like to look at the screen and ask what friends he plays with, since many times with the nicknames they put we don't know how to identify them.
3. Avoid unwanted purchases.
“On consoles and mobiles, you have to configure security in purchases so that minors cannot access without permission. Because the game does not put barriers. If you have an active credit card and no security restrictions on the console or mobile, the purchase is no problem, "explains Álex Cánovas.
In this regard, the National Police recommends that:
Do not pay for the download, Because it's free
Don't believe the "turkeys" bargains cheaper than in the official Epic store.
Provide benefits, in moderation
In the word 'moderation' seems to be the secret of use of any video game. And this is by no means an exception. Comment the director of Friendly Screens, that Fornite develops certain capabilities: spatial orientation, resource planning, creativity, companionship (teamwork), visual function (being action) ... Therefore,
"There is no reason to eliminate the game of 'your diet' as long as it is eaten in moderation and in combination with other foods (leisure activities or even other video games). That is, if our child is going to play an hour and a half, let's try more than one videogame, to develop different skills. "
The key, according to this expert and the psychologist Eparquio Delgado, is in Talk to our children and reach a consensus.
“If they can play a perfect time, but if we don't think they play well, it's also perfect. They will not be more unhappy nor will they feel displaced from their friends for not sharing this activity with them. They may not understand it now, but they will do it when they grow up, just as we have come to understand that our parents did not buy us that fashion polo that all our partners wore and we have not ended up traumatized.
Delgado also adds that parents should think wisely:
“If the game were so negative and bad, nobody would play. So for the next course, let's agree with them rules of use, negotiate time of use, agree schedule for study time, seeking a consensus among the whole family, talking about the advantages and disadvantages of the game. ”
Photos | Fornite and iStockphoto
In Babies and More | Hooked on mobile: how to know if my teenage son is addicted to new technologies, do you like video games? Playing with your child can be beneficial for him and for your relationship.
