Clueless on Fortnite? A primer for parents on the hugely popular video game

It's kind of a clich.

But truthfully, parents are sometimes woefully out of touch with pop culture.

That's why CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning reached out to University of Regina educational technology and media professor Alec Couros for a primer on a video game that is wildly popular.

And if you've never heard of Fortnite, this story is for you.

"It has become incredibly popular," since it debuted in 2017, said Couros.

So what isFortnite?

Is Fortnite too popular? See a CBCNews report on the game:

Fortnite Addiction

6 years ago

Duration 3:23

Dozens of self-help groups are popping up online to help parents with kids addicted to Fortnite

It's sort of like the long-running reality TV show Survivor, in that players are stranded on an islandand try to outlast one another. But in Fortnite, there is a twist,Couros said.

It's a shooting game.

"Eventually you have to face all of your enemies."

Listen to the full interview fromSaskatoon Morning:

But,Couros said, parents should not be too quick to judge and ban Fortnite. The violence rating, he said, is actually quite lowcompared to other equally popular games.

"It's always something to consider but at least in this game it doesn't show graphic violence."

Questions parents might have

Here's how Courosanswered a coupleof the big questions parents might have about the game.

IsFortnite more addictive than other games?

"I don't know that it's necessarily as addictive. I know with any game the competitiveness around trying to win or getting into the top five, it's got that element for sure," Couros said.

"I've seen children, not just my own, get kind of upset if they can't make it to the top five or the top two, but ultimately you have 100 people to compete with and most gamers, if [you] spend a lot of time with it you should be able to succeed. Then at that moment if there is any addictive element, that might subside a little bit."

What kind of limits should parents set?

"Make some rules and create some guidance. It may not be the number of hours, but it is basically, 'What kind of screen time are you spending, is it quality screen time?'" said Couros.

"Obviously you are doing your studying and your learning online as well, so it's not all bad screen time. Sometimes it is more engaging than the passive TV-watching screen time, so it's a bit more difficult to pin down but it's important to set those established and consistent limits."

The bottom line

Couros said that parents should just do their best to be informed, becausetrends in youth culture can change rapidly.

In the case of Fortnite, he said, some gamers are just getting into it.

Others already think the craze is over, and have moved on.

With files from Saskatoon Morning