CARY, NC — If you have children between eight and 18, the chances are you’ve heard of the multiplayer online shooter Fortnite: Battle Royale. It is safe to say that this survival game has taken the world by storm. With more than 40m players worldwide, the chances are either your children or their friends are already passionate fans. For some, that fandom may well be bordering on obsession. Should you be worried?
Yes, yes you should.
Shortly after the school shooting in Parkland, researchers came up with the theory that shooting games are to blame for these mass shootings. Surely enough, they did their research and found a court case that proves their theory right. Back in 2014, a Canadian shooter played a two-dimensional game and told the court that, “…[the game] basically helped with [his] target acquisition abilities.”
Psychologist Alexander Von Snatch’s research shows that 75% of the mass shooters showed a unique interest in these violent, shooting games. “It’s simple really; the brain is engaged in these games and it gives them a rush. Dopamine, a feel-good hormone, is released whenever they score a kill.”