My 12 year old is obsessed. He's been begging for a better computer to play it on and saying everyone at school plays it. I checked it out and the game itself seems okay but I'm worried about online interactions with random people. Also he's spending money from his allowance on in-game stuff. Should I just let him play or set some rules? Don't want to be the dad who doesn't let him do anything his friends do.
Everyone else has it' is the oldest line in the book. The game isn't terrible but kids get obsessive about it and then suddenly they need $1500 in upgrades. Been there with my oldest.
Fortnite isn't inherently bad but 12 is young and it can definitely be addictive. I set limits with my kids on screen time and it helps. Maybe a compromise where he earns computer upgrades through chores or grades instead of just asking?
Don't buy the computer. He'll just want the next upgrade in six months. The game isn't going anywhere and he can play it on what he has. This is where you need to hold the line.
Fortnite itself isn't the enemy, but a 12 year old asking for a better computer specifically to play it more? That's the part I'd pump the brakes on. Maybe frame it as 'we'll look at that next year if you keep your grades up' or something.
All his friends play it he says. Yeah that's the sales pitch every kid uses. The real question is how many hours a day is he asking to play and is it affecting school or sleep? If it's just weekends it's probably fine.
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Not bad in moderation, but if he's already at the 'I need better gear' stage, you might want to set some expectations about screen time before you invest in a new computer. Trust me on this one.