Gems: Fortnite game is an ‘online grooming risk for children’

The UAE’s largest education group said that the popular video game Fortnite exposes children to violence, inappropriate language and could put them at risk of being groomed online by strangers.

Nadine de Mascarel, head of well-being at Gems Education, said in a newsletter to parents last week: “It has come to our attention that a significant amount of our students are passionate about a game called Fortnite.

“The game is addictive. The game pushes players to make additional in-game purchases to acquire items. The multiplayer function exposes players to inappropriate language from strangers in voice or onscreen text chat. The online chats put children at risk of being groomed by strangers.”

Fortnite Battle Royale is an online multiplayer survival game where players must compete to be the last one standing by killing every player in the game.

During the game, players collect weapons, build safe structures and try to avoid the storm that damages all players outside a safe zone.It has grown to have 125 million players since the cross-platform game was released in mid-July last year. It made more than US$100 million (Dh367m) on its recent iOS platform release in just 90 days.

Gems Jumeirah Primary School has gone as far as to block the game on its premises. Parents have been advised to turn off the voice chat option in the game, limit the time their children spend playing the game and have an open discussion about the game with their children.

Ms de Mascarel believes it would be helpful for parents to remind children that they need to tell them if they see or hear something inappropriate. Establishing rules in connection with online activity and screen time is helpful.

Last week, The National reported on the game’s growing popularity, with the mother of Abu Dhabi resident Amine Riyad, 11, saying her son acts like a drug addict when access to the game is denied.

“He acts like someone going through withdrawal symptoms,” she said.