The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily or exactly coincide with the position of Axel Springer or Hobby Consolas.
To the surprise that I got when I read the headline on Twitter, I decided to investigate a little, not much, don't believe it, because it seemed such incredible news to me that it had to be false. Or, at best, insincere. And indeed, things were not as they seemed ...
It is true that a father had lost joint custody of his son. It is true that Fortnite was involved, but it is not true that Fortnite was to blame for anything. The blame was on that compelling need some estranged spouses have to be cooler than their exes. Or, what would be sadder, of the need that some have to have their children entertained so that they do not get screwed. I don't know which of the two categories this story fits into.
I tell you and judge for yourself. The couple separate and agree to joint custody. At his mother's house, the 13-year-old boy with a diagnosis of addiction cannot play during the week, only on weekends. When he is at his father's house, he spends the day playing. What's more, the father allows him to open accounts on Instagram and YouTube and buys him everything he needs to play big. The result is 9 failures, stop going out with friends and abandon extracurricular activities. Here you can read more details of the sentence.
Seen like this, it seems to me the most reasonable thing in the world for the judge to have decided that the minor is better off with his mother. Because his father neglected his education, his social relationships and did not set rules and limits that are fundamental for the correct growth of a child. It does not seem reasonable to me that it is trying to blame the video game for a situation that has much more to do with the negligence of its father. It's not Fortnite's fault, it's the fault of not setting limits. Because the kid got it for Fortnite, but it could have been an addiction to TV, YouTube, social networks, gambling ...
The 10 best Nintendo Switch games for adults only
Nintendo Switch is much more than games for the whole family; Here we show you the best games for adults that you will find in the hybrid console catalog.
Discover them
Luckily, most of the news that I have read in the media has told things like this, as is, without accusing the video game of breaking up families. Other media have gotten more wet, and there have been some who have not lost the opportunity to get a bit confused with how dangerous video games are, although I have also come across others who even remember that video games are used by some teachers to help their students to study and review their benefits.
And this has relieved me more than I expected. He was not aware of how much. I experienced first person psychosis for the role killer, the freaking story of the katana killer. For a while we avoided writing in the magazine "RPG" and I had to answer a journalist who called the newsroom asking about the drugs that were sold together with Metal Gear Solid ...
After these experiences (and others much less media), seeing that, finally, the vast majority of the media has not taken the opportunity to make blood has been a huge relief and shows that video games are no longer that great unknown that is scary, and that their weight in the economy means that the stories in which they are involved are no longer taken lightly.
What have some done? Yes, but the least. It's not easy to miss an opportunity to cling to sensationalism. There are still media (or specific programs, rather) that still think that video games are the devil ... Well, they will wake up.
The reactions I have seen on RRSS have almost caught my attention. There I have read more that of "Fortnite's fault" and some "it was time", as if the sentence had been a blow to the video game and not the irresponsibility of a father. Of course, value judgments made without reading the news and creating homegrown stories around the headline. There have been those who wanted to take away the iron from the matter and those who have taken advantage of the issue to bring out the sexist war: "they don't do this to the mother" and similar niceties. Anyway.
It is very sad that we are getting carried away by the tendency to believe everything we read on social networks, stay only with headlines or assume half truths as dogmas of faith. And it happens with everything and constantly. It costs nothing to click on the news and see what it is really about in order to form an informed opinion ...
It is also common to stay only with the part that fits our prejudices and disregard the rest of the information: The video game separates parents from children, men are discriminated against in custody matters, the generalist media only know how to attack video games, video games are addictive and dangerous ... I have read everything in line with a sentence, that, as many, only seeks to protect the minor.
Games that were over-realistic (maybe unnecessarily)
We go over some of the games that went from realistic, perhaps unnecessarily, and are now remembered for some of those little gaffes.
Discover themVideo game lovers should not feel attacked with the news and, even less, with the sentence. What is offensive is the focus of some media. Why not, the father has not lost custody "because of Fornite", he has lost it because of his neglect. And it is one more example that everything in life has two faces and anything, no matter how good it may seem, can be misused.
My son learned to read thanks to video games and it is true that now I let him play a lot, but he gets excellent grades (except in Philosophy, which he only approves, what are we going to do). When, being smaller, it had a regular performance, the video games were limited and controlled. Playing was a prize and he himself has learned to dose himself and not neglect his obligationss. I have to press him to read more, I'm working on it ...
In addition to being outraged by the media that misrepresent information, or want to make an example of an anecdote, we must also recognize what is wrong with this story. Badly used video games can be bad, they are dangerous. Like everything. But misused information is even more dangerous. And, pay attention to the final twist of this drama: it has gone viral as a result of the father's appeal to the Supreme Court, because the sentence is a year ago. What has changed to make it news now?
