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Fortnite Parents Tips for Surviving the Battle over Summer

Fortnite Online Safety Tips

Image Credit: Epic Games

Are you one of the many parents across the world this summer caught in the Fortnite trenches? Well you’re not alone.

With over 125 million people playing the game worldwide Fortnite fever has taken hold in homes across the globe. Many parents are finding themselves struggling to get their children off gaming on Fortnite and in some cases this is impacting severely on family life. In addition to this the media have jumped on the bandwagon with scaremongering reports of ‘gaming addiction’.

What sort of issues are Parents experiencing as a result of Fortnite?

A common concern raised by parents is the ‘addictive’ nature of the game. Opinions on these issues vary from expert to expert as to whether this is an addiction or ‘problematic behaviour’. But something nearly everyone agrees on, is that the sheer amount of screen time being spent by children and teenagers gaming is extreme. The nature of the intermittent rewards within the game seems to keep players hooked and opting for just one more game.

Obsessive interest in the game also seems to create apathy for other areas in our children’s lives, which don’t quite live up to the excitement of Fortnite Battle Royale! Parents are telling us they’ve been struggling over the summer getting their kids to do anything outside of Fortnite. While some kids are happy enough to take part in sports and summer camps, parents are still concerned with problematic behaviour when they game. We’ve had reports of outbursts, screaming fits, hurling devices at the wall. And that’s just the parents .

Seriously though, whilst the kids gaming for an hour or two helps them chill and gives us parents a break or time to get jobs done – kids and teenagers can get over stimulated by the game and find it difficult to put down, resulting in extremely long hours spent on the game, in some cases even all-nighters!.

As parents, trying to limit time spent on Fortnite and other games can turn your home into a ‘Battle Royale’ :).
Hope is in sight. Here are some useful practical tips to help keep the tensions down at home this summer.  Read on or watch the video below

Why Kids are crazy for it?

  • It’s free. Though there are of course additional purchases which enhance the game and your child will plead to have.
  • The Dances. They add to the fun. Your child will be on Youtube practising the moves. And I challenge you to find a child who doesn’t ‘Floss’.
  • The Access. It can be played on smartphones, laptops, ipads, PC’s. Literally anytime, anywhere.
  • The social Acceptance. It can be played solo. But it’s the multi-player aspect that has kids hooked.

So here are some handy Fortnite Parents Tips

When it comes to Fortnite or any other gaming craze in the future, these 5 Tips can help keep a balance:

  • Set Boundaries and an Agreement – I talk about this a lot in my Online Safety workshops for Parents. Agree with your child the number of games they can play in a day. Let’s say that most Fortnite Game sessions last between 10 and 20 minutes. Agree to 3-4 games per day which equates to around an hour, hour and a half. Though keep in mind that the better the player gets at the game – the longer the games can last. And give them plenty of notice before time is up as they’ll lose track!
  • Use Parental Controls – These tools help. Many parental control solutions allow for time limits to be set on games or block the game. There are parental controls on the game, so set them up, become familiar with how they work and what they’re used for.
  • Monitor the Voice Chat Function. Keep an ear open. This has been used by players to bully or verbally abuse other players. If abusive language, swearing or talking to ‘Strange People’ is going on disable this function by clicking on Settings in the main page (cog icon), Audio and turn Voice Chat to OFF.
  • Set limits. No playing alone in the bedroom or at night after bedtime.
  • Have Fortnite conversations. About violence and the difference between fantasy and reality such as copying and imitating battles and violence in offline life play.

Our new Parents App for Schools launches this September. To find out more or to book Wayne’s Parents and Students School Talks Click Here

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Wayne Denner shares his knowledge & expertise on leading tech industry blog.

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