Back to school: Why the Fortnite is more harmful to your child than you think and how to manage it

It produces an increase in the dopamine that feeds the brain reward circuit, which causes very pleasant sensations in the player

The child's or adolescent's self-esteem is in the hands of his ability to get rid of his opponents

The state of anxiety produced by the combination of war, challenges and prize-winning activates the brain circuit of the reward

Start with a harmless "I'm going to join my classmates to play a new thing on the Play that is cool." He continues with a naive: "Play with your friends, there is no blood and very cool dances come out like the one that Griezmann does when he scores a goal. It shouldn't be so bad!"

Suddenly, the "just a little more!" and "let him be entertained" gets out of hand and the kid doesn't want to leave home anymore. The hitch is so brutal that its 'symptoms' become more than obvious. "I know perfectly well when one of my students has spent the weekend playing Fortnite because of the way he enters class on Monday. They arrive deranged," a Primary teacher confesses. And that unrest, little by little, is felt in the relationship with his family, classmates, teacher and, of course, in school performance.

It is not about exceptional cases. This is not a matter of a few 'geeks'. It is a new global scenario. "Yes, it is true that consultations on this problem have grown in children and adolescents, not only for the use of Fortnite (which is very frequent), but for the general abuse of video games . It is a reality to which we are adapting and, since it is a relatively new problem, fathers and mothers do not know in depth how to manage it, "said Alba María García Rasero and Rosa María Portero Ruiz., health psychologists at the Center for Cynical Psychology (Madrid).

SYMPTOMS OF THE 'HITCH'

What are the symptoms that children are 'hooked'? These psychologists point out that it is crucial "to be attentive to the different indicators that can alert parents and educators about addictive behaviors to video games, and in particular the Fortnite."

In general, the following signals stand out:

- "The child or adolescent spends a lot of time locked in his room and stops progressively participating in family life ."

- "Changes in daily habits are observed; sleep cycles are modified, changes in meal times, abandonment of self-care".

- "Social isolation occurs. The child or adolescent leaves home less to share activities with their peers."

- " Aggressive or disruptive behavior may appear without apparent justification."

- "The child or adolescent shows tiredness and an emaciated appearance (in the case of spending many hours playing and spending the night)".

- "There can be a decrease in academic performance , as well as maladaptive behaviors in the school environment (sometimes, teachers notice some neglect and abandonment in the fulfillment of academic tasks)".

- "The child or adolescent seems abstracted, decreases their participation in the family and seems in a hurry to abandon as soon as possible any activity other than play ".

- "Progressively, lies and unwarranted spending of money may appear."

- "The child or adolescent creates contacts with new people who do not belong to their immediate environment ."

- "There is a progressive loss of interest in activities that historically were gratifying to the child or adolescent".

- "There is a tendency to breach the rules in the family environment."

- "There are changes in mood (tendency to sadness and aggressiveness), as well as an appearance of anxiety and nervousness."

- "Unjustified susceptibility behaviors and, sometimes, paranoid suspicion may appear."

- "The tastes of the child or adolescent undergo sudden changes, with a tendency to interest on warlike and aggressive issues ".

- "Symptoms of 'craving' may appear, that is, strong feelings of anxiety and desire to play or be in the presence of the game."

These experts clarify that, obviously, "all these indicators do not usually appear in the same person, nor at the same time." Nor does "an abrupt onset of the aforementioned changes occur, but is usually more progressive, so it sometimes goes unnoticed by parents and / or educators."

In any case, it is convenient to be attentive "to any unjustified change and that does not fit the personality characteristics we know of the child or adolescent until that time." It should be borne in mind that the mentioned symptoms may also constitute indicators of "another type of more serious psychopathology".

WHY IS IT SO ADDICTIVE?

What's so special about Fortnite? "To explain this issue, we must refer to a multifactorial etiology. There are biological, social, family and individual factors," explains García Rasero and Portero Ruiz.

Among all of them, the experts consulted by ZEN highlight the following:

- "At the brain level, the use of this game produces an increase in the dopamine that feeds the brain reward circuit. The child or adolescent may experience very pleasant sensations, which leads him to spend more time playing."

- "Within the Fortnite modalities, the most famous and addictive is the so-called 'Fortnite Battle Royale'. In this case, the virtual world that the child or adolescent chooses, provides the perfect scenario to try to advance in the game, eliminating other players In this way, and paradoxically, the self-esteem of the child or adolescent is in the hands of their ability to get rid of their opponents and occupy a privileged place before their peers against those who compete.

- "The state of anxiety and stress produced by the combination of war, challenges and obtaining prizes activates the cerebral circuit of the reward , but every time a greater discharge of adrenaline or dopamine is needed to achieve the same effects".

- "Very important is the fact that, from the beginning of the game, there is an immediate positive and negative reinforcement . It is proven that a behavior that has a positive and immediate consequence tends to increase the probability that it will be repeated. One of the most important reinforcers in the adolescent stage is that of presenting themselves to others as the strongest, the most popular and the most skilled in those activities that pose the most risk.Videogames, and in particular the Fortnite, can become the showcase perfect from which to exhibit the mentioned attributes. "

- "It is especially important for the child and adolescent to have a feeling of reference and belonging to a group of equals . In this sense, in a misunderstood way, the player can feel socially integrated. In other cases, the eagerness to resemble their idols can lead to abusive practice of the game. "

- "Another fact to consider is that the juice is easily accessible and free ".

- "The game's own characteristics, specifically the novelty, creativity and risk assumed , favor the growing interest of the child and adolescent, since it is difficult to fall into boredom."

HOW LONG IS TOO MUCH?

These psychologists clarify that "there is no time especially recommended for the use of video games, but it must be limited and previously agreed with the child or adolescent. In this regard, age is key; the smaller, less time, and never before seven or eight years . "

The problem, they emphasize, "is not only the time that the child or adolescent spends in front of the video game." For this reason, "it is not only necessary to limit their access, but it is also essential to foster the child's critical sense , maintain an open dialogue, control the virtual environment in which they move and educate in values." From the beginning, they advise "not to allow the child to freely have a computer or video game console in their room".

During the week and the school period, he recommends that "the video game not be used, much less before school assignments." They also stress that "its use should not be the motivation for the child to study and, therefore, its accessibility should not be conditional on academic performance."

On weekends or holidays , "periods of time not exceeding one hour of play can be agreed, although the age and characteristics of the child or adolescent (responsibility, critical sense, participation in other types of activities must be taken into account, adaptive behavior, etc.) ". Playing video games should be "one of the many leisure and free time options to which the child has access."

WHAT CAN WE DO?

How can we unhook them? What do we do if they cry or become violent? "First, once we detect that the child has symptoms of 'addiction' to Fortnite or another video game, it is important to convey our concern and make him aware of the problem. Once we have maintained this contact with him, we must take into account that the change must be progressive, we can not pretend to stop using a video game overnight, "they say.

If it has not been done before, it is necessary to " establish a specific schedule and rules, and comply with them without exception ." Alba García Rasero and Rosa Portero Ruiz recommends, for example, that "the use of the video game be in a common space at home, so that we can see who speaks and the way in which it communicates." With regard to this, it is very important to "establish clear consequences in case of breaking the rules and schedules".

The child may find it hard to stop playing immediately, "so that a transition routine can be established (for example, having a shared activity prepared to perform at the time of finishing playing the video game)." On the other hand, we must promote "other types of alternatives to the use of video games, such as outdoor time, with family and friends."

Tantrums and violent behavior are frequent in the face of this new change, especially if there were no limits before. "In these cases, it is important to remain calm , ignore attention-calling behaviors (usually aggressive behaviors) as much as possible and reiterate the consequences of these."

On the other hand, it is essential that " parents maintain a unique criterion when establishing the rules and permissions to play. It is also important to restrict access to content related to video games."

Again, it is essential to lead by example . "It is useless to establish rules, limits and penalties for the child if adults spend hours in front of the computer even for non-recreational activities, since younger children do not understand the difference in the use of the computer, mobile or Tablet ".

Another very effective advice is to " positively reinforce any behavior other than playing or incompatible with it." It is about "making the child or adolescent feel important, transmitting that their integration into the social environment cannot depend solely on sharing a video game." To achieve this, it may be useful to make "the child integrate into activity groups outside the academic and family context".

Finally, these psychologists from the Center for Clinical Psychology emphasize the importance of discarding that of 'the letter with blood enters': "The mixture of affection and norms is the best way to educate in values ​​from responsibility. It is worth exploring the deepest reasons for those that the child or adolescent is driven to compulsive play. If it is difficult to unravel such circumstances, it is best to consult with a professional. "

So far, the advice of the experts. Now it's time to put them into practice at home ...

"Can I see only one video, please?"

Drop down

The psychologists Alba María García Rasero and Rosa María Portero Ruiz point out that "the search for alternative activities related to the video game is very frequent, since in some way the child or adolescent does not 'infringe' the rules set by the parents in relation to the game, but also satisfies his desire to have contact with him, even if it is not through direct play. " In these cases, it is important to "set limits on all activities that may be related, whether through YouTube videos, websites that offer tricks or related general information, and so on," they recommend.

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