We’ve all seen parents who complain about their kids playing video games. There’s a pretty good chance that your parents complained about you playing video games at some point. But there is complaining … and then there is going way too far. Right now, apparently there are parents actually trying to send their children to Fortnite rehab.
Parents Have Had Enough of Fortnite
Suddenly, Fortnite addiction is all over the headlines. Check out this Bloomberg headline:
Fortnite addiction has become so serious that some parents are sending their kids into rehab pic.twitter.com/znyi5Peuqd
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) November 28, 2018
The text reads, “Fortnite addiction has become so serious that some parents are sending their kids into rehab.”
Yep. Fortnite rehab is apparently a thing. Wow.
Here’s another tweet which blames bad grades and lost sleep on Fortnite:
Thanks to Fortnite, kids are losing sleep and seeing their grades plummet, and their parents are trying to get them into rehab https://t.co/EkXV2C6TNn
— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) November 27, 2018
Seriously? Last time we checked, kids have been finding reasons to lose sleep and fail classes since the dawn of time. If it wasn’t Fortnite, it’d be something else. Yes, kids should do their best to excel in school and get adequate sleep, but some degree of slacking off and having fun is part of a healthy childhood too.
Plus, who is really to blame for children lacking discipline? Fortnite—or lousy parents? When parents refuse to take responsibility for their failures, it is pretty easy to see where their kids get that same lack of responsibility from.
It Isn’t Just Parents Blaming Their Fails on Fortnite
Parents are not the only ones who are blaming Fortnite for their own failures.
"This game is like heroin," said Lorrine Marer, a British behavioral specialist who works with kids battling game addiction. "Once you are hooked, it’s hard to get unhooked." https://t.co/ZF9584h1Gk pic.twitter.com/1WjpZYed9Z
— Jesse Felder (@jessefelder) November 27, 2018
The text in the tweet reads, “’This game is like heroin,’ said Lorrine Marer, a British behavioral specialist who works with kids battling game addiction. ‘Once you are hooked, it’s hard to get unhooked.’”
But arguably the funniest part is the excerpt it includes below that. It mentions, “An online U.K. divorce service says 200 petitions cited Fortnite and other video games this year as the reason for the breakup of marriages.”
… Riiiight. Usually it’s two people who either aren’t a good fit or are bad at working out their problems that are responsible for a marriage failing. But let’s blame video games, right?
The excerpt also mentions, “The National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks had so much trouble getting players to meetings and dinners they banned Fortnite on the road.”
Yep, because bad coaching and team dynamics can’t possibly be responsible. Obviously, it must be Fortnite.
Blaming video games for problems that other folks are supposed to take responsibility for is a pastime which has been around for ages now. We can’t expect it to stop anytime soon.
In the meantime, if you’re a responsible, reasonable parent with a kid who loves Fortnite, consider buying him or her some fantastic Fortnite action figures for the holidays. Keep up with all our Fortnite news.