During a visit to a YMCA in West London, Prince Harry said that Fortnite “shouldn’t be allowed.” As reported by Express.co.uk Harry spoke to a group of parents and urged them to prevent their children from playing the game.
It wasn’t just Fortnite in Harry’s firing line as he also attacked social media, calling it “more addictive than drugs and alcohol.”
Harry and wife Megham Markle have experience with the darker side of social media, having endured harassment and trolling online.
It’s more dangerous because it’s normalised and there are no restrictions to it. We are in a mind-altering time.
Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go, the only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied.
Fornite
Speaking with a group of mental health experts about the effects of social media and violent video games Harry said he didn’t see any positives in games like Fortnite. “Where is the benefit of having it in your household?
“It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.”
The Prince also stated that he believed there was a “global epidemic around young people’s mental health” and was concerned about the impact Fortnite and its ilk is having.
While it’s clear that there are those who players who have a problematic relationship with Fortnite and similar games, the idea that a member of the royal family is in a position to give advice to the ordinary citizen is a bit rich.
If parents are concerned with their child playing Fortnite, they should play the game together, put limits on the time spent playing it and become familiar with game’s community.
Fortnite has around 250 players globally and is, currently, the most popular video game on the planet.
