The Fight Over Fortnite

    The Philadelphia Phillies are a baseball team. Last September, they were on a losing streak. Carlos Santana, their first baseman, thought he knew why the team was losing. Players went to the clubhouse in the middle of games. They put down their baseball gloves. They picked up game controllers. They played Fortnite.

The team lost its ninth game in a row. So, Santana grabbed a bat. He went into the clubhouse. He smashed the TV.

    The Philadelphia Phillies were on a losing streak last September. Carlos Santana, their first baseman, thought he knew the reason. Players were sneaking into the clubhouse during games. They were putting down their baseball gloves, picking up game controllers, and playing Fortnite.

    After his team’s ninth loss in a row, Santana wanted to teach these players a lesson. He grabbed a bat, went into the clubhouse, and smashed the TV.

    In the past two years, Fortnite has become very popular. Around 250 million people around the world play it. They also watch gamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins. He plays Fortnite live online. He says he earned $10 million last year playing the game. 

Some experts are worried about Fortnite. They say people are playing too much. Kids play in the middle of the night. They also use their parents’ credit cards to buy their characters clothing and tools. 

Michael Rich is a doctor. He works with kids who can’t quit Fortnite. “They are not sleeping,” he says. “They are not going to school. They are dropping out of social activities.”

Prince Harry of England has even commented on Fortnite. He said the game was made to be addictive. He said that it should be banned.

    In the past two years, Fortnite has taken over the world, with about 250 million people playing the game. And when they’re not playing, they’re watching gamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who says he earned $10 million last year playing Fortnite live online. 

    The rise of Fortnite is worrisome to some experts. They say people are playing too much: Kids sneak downstairs in the middle of the night to play. And they even spend hundreds of dollars on their parents’ credit cards buying their characters special clothing and tools. 

    Michael Rich, a doctor in Boston, works with kids who can’t quit Fortnite. “They are not sleeping,” he explained to the Boston Globe newspaper. “They are not going to school. They are dropping out of social activities.”

    This spring, fear of Fortnite even reached the British royal family. Prince Harry of England claimed the game was created to be addictive and said that it should be banned.

    But is Fortnite truly dangerous? This is not the first time that adults have worried about a teen obsession. In the 1950s, parents worried about rock ’n’ roll music. They thought it might turn kids into criminals. 

    In some ways, Fortnite is like rock ’n’ roll. It’s new. It scares many adults. But it’s just a way for teens to hang out with their friends.

    Kurt Squire does research on video games. He says that Fortnite can be addictive. But studies show that only 3 percent of gamers are at risk.

    For other kids, Fortnite is just a fun activity to do with friends. When Squire was a kid, he built forts. He played war with his friends. Now kids do the same thing online. 

    Squire’s son Walt is a good example. He’s in seventh grade. He plays Fortnite with his friends. They talk online while they chase enemies in the game. 

    Walt plays Fortnite 15 to 20 hours a week. But he plays basketball too. He likes to write. He gets good grades. “It’s not like I’m avoiding real life,” he says.

    Still, experts agree that gamers need to find a balance. Sometimes, Walt feels like he’s playing too much. So he stops for a week. 

    And the Phillies? We would never suggest smashing a TV, like Santana did. But the break from Fortnite might have helped. They started this season with a winning streak. 

    But is Fortnite really something to be concerned about? It’s not the first teen obsession to cause alarm among adults. In the 1950s, parents thought rock ’n’ roll music might transform kids into criminals. 

    And Fortnite may be similar to rock ’n’ roll: new and scary to many adults, but ultimately just another way for teens to hang out with their friends.

    Kurt Squire does research on video games at the University of California, Irvine. He acknowledges that Fortnite can be addictive. However, studies show that only 3 percent of gamers are at risk. 

    For everyone else, Fortnite is a social activity. When Squire was a kid, he built forts and played war with his friends. Today, Fortnite gamers do the same thing online. 

    Squire’s son Walt is a perfect example of this. He’s in seventh grade, and he enjoys playing Fortnite with six of his best friends. They communicate online while chasing enemies through the game’s Haunted Hills. 

    Walt plays Fortnite 15 to 20 hours a week, but he also plays basketball, likes to write, and gets good grades. “It’s not like I’m avoiding real life,” he says. “It’s just a really awesome way to spend time with friends.” 

    Still, experts agree that gamers need to maintain balance in their lives. When Walt feels like he’s playing too much, he stops for a week. 

    And the Phillies? We would never recommend smashing a TV, like Carlos Santana did. But the team’s break from Fortnite might have helped—this season they started off with a winning streak!