HARRY WAR ON WEB GAMES
He blasts Fortnite & warns about social media addiction
PRINCE Harry has slammed online gaming for the effect it has on kids, singling out Fortnite as one that “shouldn’t be allowed”. He said it is too addictive and urged parents to be more responsible to stop damage being done. The Duke of Sussex, 34, also warned yesterday that social media has become even “more addictive than alcohol and drugs”.
PRINCE Harry gave ballet a try at a YMCA but did not dance around the issue of social media – warning it is extremely dangerous.
In a ground-breaking statement, he said some youngsters could end up being bullied because of their over-reliance on phones and devices. Harry, 34, added: “Growing up in today’s world, social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol. “Yet it’s more dangerous because it’s normalised and there are no restrictions to it. We are in a mind-altering time.” Harry talked of a “global epidemic around young people’s mental health” and urged adults to ensure children are not always on their phones.
He said: “Without that human connection, when you do have a problem you have nowhere to go, and the only place you might go is online and you will probably end up getting bullied.”
He also issued a warning about online gaming, singling out Fortnite in an astonishing attack.
Harry called it “not so good for children”, and added: “That game shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It’s created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It’s so irresponsible.
“Parents have got their hands up – they don’t know what to do about it.
It’s like waiting for the damage to be done.”
Fortnite, rated as unsuitable for under12s, is a survival game in which players control a character who uses weapons to kill other characters. The NSPCC has previously urged “parents to be aware” of the risks of Fortnite.
Harry was talking yesterday during a visit to the YMCA in Ealing, West London.
It was 24 hours after he and pregnant wife Meghan, 37, launched their own Instagram page, breaking the record for the fastest time to reach a million followers on the platform.
The Royal Family beefed up its social media operation this year amid a rise in racist online abuse targeting Meghan.
Harry watched a kids’ ballet class at the YMCA and joined in a little. He also met Maria Ahmad and her baby. Maria said later: “He asked about her sleeping. I think he’s worried about that – if the baby sleeps at night.”
There aren’t restrictions to it and it’s normalised, so it’s more dangerous PRINCE HARRY ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA FEARS
MANY parents will share Prince Harry’s worries about the impact of social media.
The dad-to-be may not be exaggerating when he claims online gaming can be more addictive than drugs and alcohol.
A lack of regulation has created a Wild West on the internet where firms such as Instagram let teens view images of self harm and young people get addicted to games such as Fortnite.
It is not always easy for parents to police children’s access to this new world. Which is why tech giants can’t duck their responsibility.
With the mental wellbeing and health of children at stake they must stop putting quick profits before their social duty.