Is Fortnite ruining anyone else's family?

[fortnitenightmare]

And devices in general?

We have 1 Xbox, 4 kids.

The older 2 bicker and argue about it constantly. They're like ogres when they can't go on it and ogres when they've been in it. And how very dare I interrupt a game with 'time's up!' Or 'dinner'. They're limited to 45 mins each, they have to take turns. They're addicted to it. Just one more...

It's ruining our family.

We:
Limit time spent on it
They have to earn time on it
Make them share
Warn them before stopping games

I have unpleasant children and it's really getting me down. They live for it. They're not allowed any other form of social media, and I get they they want to play/interact with their peers so I'd rather not ban it completely BUT we're running out of ideas of how to stop it ruining our family. I also hate the fact people can 'listen in' to our family life.

Have you got similar problems? How do you manage this addiction?

Sad 😞

Most of us are, yes, and can discuss issues without being unpleasant or revolting.

Grease is a PG - so would need parental guidance.

Feenie I've tried making your points to Icantcope too and it's just not getting through. I don't want my primary aged kids playing games where they kill people and I don't want their teachers normalising it either, even if they're only referencing dances or buildings. It makes no difference.

I'm also a teacher of many years experience FWIW. I don't reference or feature 18 games or films in my GCSE classes and somehow, I find myself able to engage them. Shocker.

It doesn't make you a good teacher if you plan lessons that you know are going to spark conversations that will actively exclude some kids.

It's great that icantcope uses modern themes in her teaching, it really is. We need teachers like this. I just wish she would have enough humility about this specific topic to see that the issues we have are valid. A parental role is different to the responsibility you have as a teacher.

You don't let your children play Minecraft, then? They are able to kill various people, villagers, Zombies, each other and themselves, as well as slaughtering animals. We use Minecraft in the classroom. Strange how that's acceptable.

I don't have to normalise it. It's normal to enjoy computer games. It has been for many years.

If parents and my head weren't happy with me using something, I wouldn't. However, mine are and actively encourage the use of some, mild aspects of Fortnite in my lessons. The parents, children and SLT think that it's great and some others have done the same. As I said on a previous thread, I checked first, with both parents and the head. None had any issues.

None had any issues.

There is an issue - you yourself have cited it on this thread - there are children at your school who feel upset and left out.

Minecraft is deemed age appropriate by a classification system that has more authority than one primary school teacher.

Personally, I find referencing things the kids are into (as in trends in gaming/TV shows) in the classroom kind of lazy, and I generally find the kids are not even that into it. Personally, I prefer to stretch their imaginations in other directions instead of just encouraging them to be trend-driven. I don't mind them playing those games or discussing them or whatever, but I don't think it needs to be in schools too. There are plenty of other things you can use that don't exclude anyone.

Personally speaking, If it were my family I'd accidentally "break" the wifi for 48 hours.

give him 15 mins warning then I go in and ignore his moaning and switch it off at the wall. He proceeds to tell me he hates me. If he is rude or defiant I take 5 mins each time off the next night's Xbox^

My kids are now all adults but I did this with them when they were younger except they lost 'computer privileges' for one day if they moaned or were rude and if they continued they lost their 'computer privileges' for a whole week. I NEVER once had to give them a weeks ban as they quite correctly knew that I would follow through with it.

My kids were playing different but equally addictive game and I had no problem with it as I controlled how much they played. All four of my kids played and I think it's been a very positive part of their childhood. They used to have so much fun doing it and it's a great leveler - the youngest could play alongside the eldest depending on the game. Now my kids are adults they still meet up in person to play computer games together and also they regularly play online together. They have a blast doing it.

I judge and disapprove of parents that let their kids play online with no time limits. It's bad and lazy parenting.

Playing 12 rated games at 8 shouldn't be normalised. I hope that's clear enough.

And please don't tell me why it's 12 rated again. I don't care.

DS does play Minecraft (age rating 7, he was allowed it at 8). I get what you're saying about that, genuinely. For me the difference is that the killing isn't really the point of Minecraft - you aren't required to do it to succeed in the game. That's an important distinction for me. It may not be for you.

It's great that icantcope uses modern themes in her teaching, it really is. We need teachers like this. I just wish she would have enough humility about this specific topic to see that the issues we have are valid. A parental role is different to the responsibility you have as a teacher.

This^^

I'm talking about on Creative mode, which is what DS plays.

you aren't required to do it to succeed in the game

Yes you are. You have to kill to gain resources to survive, such as meat.

Again, creative mode!

Creative mode is cheating

In all seriousness though, both aspects of the game are PEGI 7.

I actually find it more disturbing to hack at a pig or a horse with a pickaxe until it dies, than shoot someone from a distance and have them teleport away. They don't die in Fortnite - it's like laser tag.

Fortnite is hideous and 10-year-old DS is proper addicted. However, we've come down hard on him recently and massively limited his playing time, which has helped. I also feel like we've reached and now passed 'peak Fortnite'! It's like any craze - it gathers momentum, it drives us all crazy, it peaks and then it eases off. They'll be onto the next thing soon ...

God I hate my partner playing Xbox it means I can't.

If you can't beat them join them. It really helps time fly when your playing like a really good book.

He just likes building!

He can have Fortnite at 12 providing his behaviour isn't affected. But it'll be a different craze by then I expect.

Luckily my DS only have an Xbox at their dads and not at mine so they are strictly limited, but they're still obsessed.
10yo refers to going to his dad's as "going to fortnite".

Once, when staying with a friend, I found DS in the spare room craning his neck out of the window to watch another boy in the house opposite playing it! Absolute madness.

NRFT but yes yes yes. I’m at a loss what to do. Will now rft to see if anyone has genius solutions.

It'll be the same as everything else, old and "sad" before we know it.

That's sad, Uterus. As much as I love gaming, I'm not a fan of the obsession with watching others game. I might check someone out on Twitch if I'm thinking of buying a game, to see if I think I'll like it, but some children seem to spend hours on YouTube watching people like DanTDM play.

Ha, there's another one that didn't last long. Stampy. I remember parents pulling their hair out because they let their children watched him non stop. Its not the done thing to enjoy him any more.

@Feenie, give it a rest can't you, you already overtook the other thread on this with the same comments and bickering back and forth (no need for you to have brought them here either as Icantcope had not even mentioned being a teacher etc at that point)

It's a free world foo fighter

Foofighter she's making valid points - it's called a discussion!

Is there something I am missing? DD plays this after a LONG day at school, tea and homework. Doesn't interact with anyone (free version on her ipad) Works really hard, reads every evening. Doesn't get home 'till 5pm. Walks.

Am I doing something 'lazy' and foolish? Genuine question. Hasn't affected her mood or excellent reports at all.

There is no shouting or headphones but it is definitely fortnite!
Worried now!

I think it's about balance. Bit of this bit of that, earning the right to certain things, losing privileges if misbehaving. Fortnite does seem to have a strange hold over kids at the moment - for us in our home we feel we need to limit play.