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Teenager addicted to Fortnite?

1 reply

ADVICENEEDED987 · 31/05/2024 01:52

My 14 year old has always liked computer games and used to spend a bit of time playing Minecraft with a friend after school or with his siblings.

He's not great with screen time and can get quite obsessive so I had said no to fortnite for a long time (after hearing how addictive it can be) but caved in a month or two ago and since then he seems to have become a different child. He has lost all interest in non screen activities, turns down invites from friends as he just wants to stay in and play on the ps4 and when looking at his texts (he knows I occasionally check his messages on his phone) all recent messaged are him just asking his friends to play fortnight, over and over and over again often with them just not replying. His latest school resort isn't amazing with his grades slipping.

Would you give a total screen ban, none during the week etc or just very strict time limits, or back to the old games he used to play like fifa & Minecraft that he didn't seem to be quite so obsessed with? I don't necessarily want to ban him completely as his friends do play on line together and I don't want him to feel left out (it has taken him a long time to find a group of friends at secondary school, he was very unhappy last year) but he can't carry on focusing all his energies on Fortnite.

What would you do in the same situation?

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 31/05/2024 01:58

It's so difficult. I'd involve him in the conversation. With DD (obsessive ADHD!) I spoke to her at length about what she wanted, not in the moment but long term. Set boundaries and helped her stick to them.

The most convincing argument with her was that all the kids who played Fortnite and all the kids whose behaviour she hated... the Venn diagram was a circle!

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