Fortnite what? Probably, you have heard this word all over and yet you have no idea what it really is. With a game that has obtained countless records and attracted millions of people to play, as a parent you would be curious to know more about it especially if your child plays it.
So, what is Fortnite all about? Boiling it down to just a few words; it is a survival game between one person and other online players. The player works on obtaining the essentials such as weapons and lives in order to last the longest in the game and can declare victory.
One may find it difficult to find the positives of playing this game, however there are skills that the child will be developing which can be beneficial. Firstly, the game requires fast, wise reactions in order to survive in the battle. This means that the child will be learning quick and solution based skills. Moreover, the player will form part of a team in order to fight battles together meaning that as a team they need to make quick decisions, protect each other and make plans to overcome their opponents. This will teach the child how to work within a team, when to take lead and act as a follower and also how to deal with your team members confrontations and opinions. Without knowing the child will also be socialising with others. Even if one may find it hard to believe, if a child is struggling with feeling part of a group, Fortnite might be a good way of communicating and making new friends online. Since every round of battles is short, as a parent/caregiver one can limit the amount of time that the child will play. This will make the parent in a position to allow or restrict another round accordingly.
On the other hand, Fortnite can become addictive due to its continuance of updates on features and competing with online players can make one more competitive than usual. Moreover, since this game is popular between groups, one may find it difficult to quit the game since it offers a sense of teamwork and sense of achievement. Even if the game consists of using weapons during the battle to kill the other players, there are no violent scenes. The player when killed just disappears from the battlefield. So, one can debate about the use of violence in the game that can impact the children’s mind set. Moreover, since the players are online; meaning that they can be playing with anyone around the world, there could be some language used that might be deemed inappropriate. Some of the game features need to be purchased thus, as a parent it would be ideal to set restrictions on the game account credit card.
‘’If my kid is excited to play a game, such as Fortnite, I will allow them to play. I use gaming and electronics as a leveraging tool. If grades are dropping, this privilege is taken away for a time. If home responsibilities aren’t getting done, they lose this privilege. Having my kid excited about something means I can keep them motivated to accomplish goals, be responsible, and get decent grades. My 14-year-old son plays with his friends (although they are all at their own homes) through his gaming headset. They work together as a team, they are socializing, and I know where my kid is and what he’s doing. Not letting him play will remove him from this social experience and will demotivate him.’’ – Mother of a 14-year-old boy
Living in a world surrounded by technology which is always developing, one would be wise to learn more about the trends rather than resist them. In this way, a parent will be in a position to educate the child on how to safely make use of such technology and build reasonable and discussed restrictions if needed.
Therisa Gambin is the Parentopedia Manager at Willingness, as well as a Willingness Childminder amongst other projects that she handles and this is after participating in an internship in 2017 within the same company. She is a graduated from the University of Malta with a Bachelors in Psychology (Hons.) and holds a Diploma in Leadership and Management within the Business Leaders Malta.
Therisa works within the Human Resources sector where she has the opportunity to further extend and develop her skills in management, work ethics and team-work. For Therisa being part of Willingness means that she gets to work with professionals who respect each other and work together in a very dedicated manner. They also showed her how working within a good dynamic team can make any project possible. All the willingness team keeps a positive attitude and is always ready to help in whatever needed. This creates a sense of belonging and self- confidence knowing that you are being trusted and pushed to be the best.She can be contacted on info@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.