Amidst all the negative press around Fortnite from the mainstream media, it’s refreshing to see some positive research.
In a study of 858 parents of Fortnite-loving kids, half the respondents think the game has had a positive influence on their children. Of those, 52% like the fact their kids have made new friends online and 31% think they’ve become more confident since playing.
Furthermore, 61% of mums and dads in the survey say their children’s hand-eye co-ordination has improved since playing Fortnite, while 37% think the game is important to keep children familiar with new technology.
Just under half of parents also like the fact the game is sociable, while 43% say it’s nice to see their children so animated and excited about something.
Instead of grounding their children, taking sweets away or removing the TV, almost two thirds of mums now threaten a ban on Fortnite if their children misbehave.
“Played sensibly, Fortnite is fun, sociable and can even help some children’s co-ordination skills.”
Siobhan Freegard, ChannelMum.com
The research was commissioned by ChannelMum.com and reported by SWNS Digital.
Siobhan Freegard, founder of ChannelMum.com, which commissioned the research, said: “Played sensibly, Fortnite is fun, sociable and can even help some children’s co-ordination skills.
“But like any habit, if it takes over all other activities, then it needs to be managed sensibly with limits imposed.
“Agree with your child what is acceptable use and ensure they stick to it. It may cause a Battle Royale in your home but it will be better for them long-term to have boundaries.”
The report did find some negative responses, for example 63% of parents find themselves arguing about the attitude they receive when asking their child to turn the game off, but we’ll leave that to the mainstream media to sensationalise.
In the meantime, we’ll be shouting about the young UK Fortnite players being signed to pro teams and, er, Dele Alli streaming Fortnite with Harry Kane.
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
