USA Today asks whether or not your child should play 'Fortnite'

SALT LAKE CITY — Is your child too young to play "Fortnite"?

The brief:

• USA Today recentlyposed that question to family media experts in an article published on Tuesday. It's a question many parents have asked themselves as the free video game has skyrocketed into viral success among kids, teens and adults alike.
• But for many parents, "Fortnite" can be sort of a problem. Children will use their parents' debit cards and money to by the in-game virtual currency, called "V-Bucks," so they can buy new character skins, dance moves (called "emotes") and other reward items. And it doesn't help that the game has become a distraction for many children in school, too, according to USA Today.
• "There is no question that 'Fortnite' is the biggest pain point in terms of media and tech for kids today, and certainly their parents," Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, told USA Today.
• So what age is best for children to start playing "Fortnite"? Well, according to a poll from Survey Monkey and Common Sense Media from last December, 10 percent of parents say age 8 is the right age for the game. Meanwhile, 16 percent said age 10 and 15 percent said 12. Only 8 percent recommended parents wait until children are 18.

Screenshot, EpicGames.com

"Fortnite" released its latest update on Thursday after something of a delay.

Insights:

• "Fortnite" might be the most addictive video game out right now, according to a recent study published to Casino.org and sent to the Deseret News in an email.
• A research team from Fractl released a new study that found "Fortnite" to be the most addictive video game out right now with players spending eight hours per week playing the game.
• "World of Warcraft: Legion" and "Grand Theft Auto V" ranked as No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the report. Personal computer games ranked as the most addictive systems to play games on with 34 percent saying it's more addictive than playing games on a video game console like Xbox One or Nintendo Switch.
• "Super Mario Bros.," "Tetris," "Pokemon Red" and "Pokemon Blue" all ranked as four of the most addictive classic video games, according to the report.

Tips: So what should parents do? Deb Sharratt, who writes a blog in the U.K. called "My Boys Club," told USA Today that parents need to understand the game before they let their child play it.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2EfKBWD