Prince Harry Calls for a Ban of Fortnite and Games Like it

In a recent visit to the YMCA in West London, the Duke of Sussex fell into an aggressive conversation in regards to the addictive nature of some recently successful video games. Last year, the World Health Organization officially determined that Gaming Disorder is a diagnosable mental illness, and now British Royalty is promoting the idea that video games are a problem. 

With regards to the specific Battle Royale game Fortnite - one of the world’s most widely played, and beloved titles - the Prince asked “where is the benefit of having it in your household?” and urged parents to disallow the game and many more aspects of twenty-first-century technology.

He's Not Wrong ... Completely

“It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible,” he said in a report from Express UK. “It’s so irresponsible,” he added. 

In part, he’s right. Games - and especially free-to-play or daily games - are designed to promote a returning behavior. But none of them are specifically intended to addict the user, at least not as a primary objective. No matter where you go, and who you talk to, the objective is to profit off of enjoyment. At its most callus. A look at the most positive will show you that a lot of people develop games to provide fun and entertainment, above all else. 

There’s an obvious epidemic surrounding the mental health of youth around the globe. But the fault doesn’t land on developers like Fortnite’s Epic Games. Rather, the exposure to a completely foreign society that parents just aren’t equipped to prepare or guide their children through might be more to blame. It’s the same with every generation. It’s only amplified by the access and growth of the technology industry that the youth of today live within. 

The Problem is Elsewhere

As the first few generations to not know any life without things like social media, or conceptually available video games, there’s a long learning curve to the mental health implications on young people today. How parents can help is something that is still being worked on. The conversations must happen. 

So while some might say that Prince Harry is just flaming because he can’t manage to obtain his own Victory Royale, or has been without a solid diet of Chicken Dinners for too long, maybe someone should nicely inform him that he’s looking for answers in the wrong place. 

As a father-to-be, Prince Harry should be promoting the inclusion of parents in their kid's lives, and especially when it comes to their exposure to gaming. A healthy relationship with any form of entertainment could very well be the key to unlocking a whole lot of potential in a child, and the idea that a flat out ban is a solution to a much bigger problem is almost as ludicrous as the idea that in 2019 we still have a Duke of Sussex roaming the Earth. 

Do you think the problem with video game "addiction" is the fault of the developers? Or could parenting differently help? As a gamer, what were your experiences growing up?