Like it or not, the Fortnite wave has yet to crest in our culture. The multiplayer shooter just passed $5 million in mobile sales over the first 10 days of its release — and that’s not even counting everything that Epic has raked in from the PC edition.
The sheer phenomenon of this game among youth has sent parents and teachers scrambling to understand it and even use it for good. A piece on Waypoint points out how adults are noticing how the game is dominating discussion and playtime among children of a scope that hasn’t been seen in years.
Some of the effects of the game are positive, such as connecting introverted kids with their classmates or being incentive to do good work in school. Some of it is strange, such as Fortnite-themed prom invitations and a Fortnite version of The Great Gatsby in a high school literature class. Some of these effects have resulted in less-than-desirable outcomes, such as declining grades and a concern over desensitization of shooting violence.
It’s an interesting piece that doesn’t come to any conclusion other than seeing the Fortnite phenomenon as “messy” and very pervasive among youth today.
