Everyone’s favorite British Breakfast Show ‘This Morning’ is well known for spreading a variety of wacky and weird stories. From Katie Hopkins judging children based on their first names to a couple who could orgasm for 18 hours just for hugging, the show has everything. The hosts, Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield are known for their chemistry and stories from the people they interview often go viral in Britain.
Today’s viral story is a mother claiming that the video game Fortnite: Battle Royale should be banned. The online behemoth is free to play and available to download for all owners of a PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. It is also the most viewed game on popular streaming platfrom Twitch. The mother, Suzanne, in claims that her son, Leo, has been acting differently ever since he began playing Fortnite. ‘I’m strict with time, two hours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I never had to enforce that with Fifa, but with this I’d go up at 7.45 and he’d be yelling he’s not ready.’ She then follows this by revealing details of why she thinks the personality change occurs:
“I had to tell him you’re not acting the way you normally act. The game is so full of energy and adrenaline that when you pull them off – this is different, they are screaming at the television, they are hiding in bases, they’re calling each other, these guys think this is the real world, they are living in it with their friends. When they try and come out of it everything is boring, it can’t compete.”
She begins by explaining that Leo has been neglecting other activities; family time, sports and schoolwork, in order to spend as much time as possible playing Fortnite. He would refuse to stop playing the game when his mother tells him time is up despite agreeing to a specific time to stop playing. The mother also emphasizes that she is aware that her son is only 10 despite Fortnite being 12 rated. She claims to not be overly strict.
Despite this claim Suzanne has deleted the game from Leo’s Xbox One. The young boy is actually very articulate, explaining the energy of the gaming and exciting feeling he gets while playing is the main reason for wanting to play as much as possible. I’m sure many of our readers can empathize. Despite the negativity, the response to the segment has been very pro-gaming. Holly even points out that Phil was having a great time on Fortnite! Viewers were asked if they were worried about the effect the game has on their children, 59% said they were not. The social media responses to the segment also are very pro gaming, most people blamed the parent for not laying down the rules and taking control of the situation, most called out her ignorance on the age rating.
This segment has raised a bigger issue, and it is not the effect that violent video games have on young impressionable minds. The larger issue is the lack of understanding that parents have when it comes to gaming, especially online gaming. It is time parents sought out education on the products that they expose their children to. One mother claimed her son was hearing swear words online, unaware other players could be easily muted. Modern consoles and internet routers actually have rigorous parental control options. Play time can be regulated this way, games can be cut out at any time. Parents also do not know that an online game cannot be paused, or that remaining idle in an online match often results in being removed from the game. This negatively impacts your stats and can lead to in game punishments. In FIFA or example you lose your multiplier if you are removed from a game, leading to less rewards per match. Parents could give their children a warning when an activity approaches, such as dinner, so they know not to begin a game that they then cannot leave.
What do you think? Should we be regulating video games more or should parents be getting more educated in their children’s hobbies? Follow @thelootgaming on Twitter and let us know!
