If you have kids, you may have noticed that they have been spending a lot of time recently playing a certain video game. It's a game that you know they didn't buy, and you didn't pay for either, so what's the big deal?

It's the latest video game craze, and it's name is Fortnite, but I think you already knew that. Released back in July 2017, Fortnite is a survival game played on either the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, or Mac, but the real attraction is you can download the "free" Battle Royale mode, where hundreds of strangers go head-to-head in a gun battle until only one man or team is left standing. It's kind of like a video game version of the Hunger Games.

Fortnite has quickly become one of the most popular video games in the world. Millions of kids and adults are playing daily, there's probably someone in your family playing right now.

Now here's where the main problem comes in: Some kids seem to be suffering from Fortnite addiction. Symptoms include being uninterested in playing outside, getting mad and angry when someone tells them to turn off the game console, and regular Fortnite players may seem to have lost interest in activities that they used to always enjoy.This has definitely raised a red flag among parents. But is the addiction real?

I can tell you first hand that it's a fun game to play, but to say "addiction" — that's a very powerful word. I just sum it up by saying I think my son and his friends have caught the "Fortnite Fever".

According to bbc.com, Andrew Reid who's a doctoral researcher of serious games at Glasgow Caledonian University had this to say about the game and its players.

People found the game hard to stop playing, but I will not say it's an addiction. Using the term "addictive" could stigmatize regular consumers of video games. Most of the research that's been studied showed "positive characteristics of play". The game has become very popular because it was carefully created to deliver a truly engaging experience. There was scope for further research on what constituted video-game addiction but it had been suggestively been defined as the excessive consumption of games that conflict with everyday living.

So if you're a parent of a player like I am, the experts say the best thing you can do is be a parent, and enforce limits on playing and playing time. It's also suggested that parents actually try the game, so you can see why your kids are so interested in it,

So watch for the "Bush Campers", cause I'm outta "Heals", just don't get "Knocked".

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