Fortnite: The Effects On Children

Hannah Warren, Jordan Harris, Kassandra Sanchez, Trinity Crum

 What is Fortnite?

Fortnite is a video game that released on July

25, 2017 and was developed by Epic Games.
Fortnite Battle Royale is a resounding success,
drawing in more than 125 million players in less
than a year while earning millions of dollars per
month.
Costs

● Fortnite is a Free app to play but

parents still pay over a hundred
dollars.
● This data correlates with what we
found when we conducted
interviews.
● V-bucks are like money through the
app that can also be purchased
● Most parents of children who play
fortnite spend an average of $122
Emotes
A dance or action
that can be
purchased through
the app

Often to make kids

feel included the app
encourages them to
pay for emotes to “fit
in”
Free games that
Fortnite is FREE but users have the
make millions option to buy upgrades and bonus
features.

It is noted in Fortnite that all skins

and emotes are for cosmetics only
and grant no competitive
advantage.
Age Range
Statistics
While doing further
research we have
concluded that not only
do kids play Fortnite but
also adults. The chart to
the right shows that over
half of Fortnite players
are male and between
the ages 18-24.
How many people actually play?

● 78.3 million people are playing Fortnite which is double the entire
population of Canada

“Survival of the fittest”

Players join up to battle others and be the last one standing.

World Health Organization recognizes
“Gaming Disorder”

Gaming disorder is defined in the 11th Revision of the International

Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as a pattern of gaming behavior
characterized by impaired control over gaming.

- increased priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that
gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and
continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative
consequences.
How Much Should They Play?

It is recommended by psychologists that kids

play no more than 40 minutes on a school night
and no more than an hour on weekends.

This is playing time is typically not followed and

kids play for much longer, causing many
different effects, such as social withdrawal,
carpal tunnel, sleep deprivation, etc.
Playing Time: The Reality

● We conducted some research through surveys and found that kids

typically play 2-4 hours a day.
● This was 3 to 6 times more than the recommended time
Screen Time
Dominates
Kids play
According to the chart on
the right it is shown that
children between the
ages 2-10 spend most of
their time on
screen-based play.
Do You Think You Play Too Much?

● Out of all the kids interviewed, majority disagreed that they play too much
while others agreed in that they “over play”
● They don’t see anything wrong with how much time they are spending
staring at a screen and playing.
Why Do You
Play? ● When interviewing kids who
play the game, we found that
they choose to play either out
of boredom or because their
friends play it and wanted to
feel included too.
Parent’s Concerns From Interviews
Conducted

● They are prioritizing Fortnite over homework

● “Disconnected from the family activities”
● Kids can play with adults from all over the world
● “They never know who their really talking with”
Fortnite Player Base is Connected

● Allowed for the entire player base to

play with each other
● Allows for different types of consoles
to play against each other
● Xbox and PS4 players can now play
together (first game ever)
Parent’s Concerns With Cross-Play

● Parents are concerned that their

kids can talk to anyone
worldwide.
● Since more adults than kids are
playing, their kids wouldn’t be
talking to other kids, but rather
adults.
Schools are Concerned

● School in UK send out warnings to

parents because kids are playing it
so much
● School stressed to supervise all
online activity
Harassment on
Fortnite

● 45-year old man

verbally harassed an
11-year old on
Fortnite
● Could face jail time
and a fine
Fortnite is Blamed for Divorce

● Over 200 cases from Jan 2018- Sept 2018

● Has also affected jobs, and schools
● Basketball player David Price missed a game
because of Fortnite
Fortnite Making Headlines

● Was a twitch stream record

● Over 600,000 watched
● Ninja broke the record again a month
later at a tournament
YouTube

● The most looked up videos on YouTube

are Fortnite related
● Kids are not only spending time on
Fortnite, but also the internet
watching/looking up things related to it.
● The guy on the left is called “Ninja” and
makes $500K a month playing Fortnite
Fortnite Partners with the NFL

● Allowed anyone to have any

jersey and number
● One of the few skins that were
advertised before launch
The Positives of Fortnite

● Build a strong sense of accomplishment for those who win

● Teamwork skills come into play when working in duos or squads
● It opens people up to becoming more creative when having to build during
battles
References
Needleman, Sarah E., and Katie Roof. “Fortnite Creator Epic Games Valued at Nearly $15

Billion.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 26 Oct. 2018,

www.wsj.com/articles/fortnite-creator-epic-games-valued-at-nearly-15-billion-1540577025.

Is Fortnite Bad for Kids? (2018). Scholastic News -- Edition 4, 81(2), 7. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=prh&AN=131651663&site=ehost-live

Brooks, Mike. “Is Fortnite Ruining Your Kid?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, Sept.

2018,www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/201809/is-fortnite-ruining-your-kid.
References

http://www.who.int/features/qa/gaming-disorder/en/