Search icon

Gaming

04th Apr 2019

Prince Harry reckons Fortnite should be banned to combat social media addiction

Marc Mayo

“Where is the benefit in having that game in your household?”

Prince Harry wants to tackle kids spending too much time on social media by banning the game Fortnite, which he claims was “created to addict”.

With new technology abundant in children’s lives, 34-year-old Harry is worried parents are not able to moderate the impact social media has on their kids.

“A game like Fortnite for instance may not be so good for children,” he said at a YMCA event in west London, according to The Metro. “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 and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down.

“Fortnite shouldn’t be allowed. Where is the benefit in having that game 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.”

The UK gaming industry was revealed earlier this week to be worth a record £5.7 billion to the economy, with players in Fortnite able to purchase aesthetic upgrades in-game and official merchandise despite it being initially free to play.

Meanwhile, Harry and pregnant wife Meghan Markle have set up their own official Instagram account before going on to warn of the dangers of social media being “more addictive than drugs and alcohol”.

“There’s too much negativity surrounding mental health and it must be so hard for young people to talk about it,” he said.

“Social media is more addictive than drugs and alcohol, and it’s more dangerous because it’s normalised and there are no restrictions to it.

“We are in quite a mind-altering time, but quite an exciting time, because everyone in this room has the opportunity to make a real difference.”