'Fortnite'

Social media is bursting with angry parents at the moment, children screaming at the parents because he or she didn't get the "Victory Royale."

We all know full well that kids get angry over multiplayer games but this isn't just kids we are talking about. Fortnite, the new insanely addictive multiplayer game for Xbox, PS4 and PC, is smashing records at the moment; great gameplay and awesome graphics is causing a storm right now, but why? Why are parents demanding this game is scrapped?

Lewis Coaker from Canterbury, UK says:

"My child has become an absolute animal since playing this game! I am sick of hearing him screaming at the TV day and night. Only yesterday he was in tears because his was playing the solo game but within 5 minutes 3 other players had teamed up and killed him! If people want to play this game then at least stick to the rules."

Yes, yes, we know that, Lewis, but surely your child's attitude change isn't down to one game! Or is it?

Just a quick search on Facebook will give you an understanding of the magnitude of this game. The main group on Facebook called "Fortnite Battle Royale Community" seems to top the lot with 99k members!

Now these are some serious gamers with the intention of having the most kills, best weapons and most importantly, the coveted "Victory Royale." You would be excused for thinking this group is made up of just children because the fact is 70% of this group is in the age range of 18-30 year olds, girls, boys, men and women. They take every game seriously and boy, if you screw up during game play or fail to revive a team member, then stand by for a world of verbal abuse down the headset or for your team to head over to Facebook to tell the world what a bad player you are. All of this is what makes your child so determined to perform well at this game and prove to the world of Fornite that they deserved 1st place, albeit with one kill. The truth is, we as parents do get fed up of hearing all the screams of frustration from our kids, but we choose to allow them to carry on playing; why? Because it's easy for us, that's why. It really is the stuff of dreams for our children to smash out 15 hours straight of gameplay, but for some parents it's also easier for them, meaning they can get on with the daily chores without the distraction of our kids.

"I've restricted time online for my 2 sons now after having to split up fights and a disrupted night time routine."

Like it or not, it isn't the fault of our children for enjoying this game and for them wanting to impress the other 99k members of the Fortnite Facebook community but rather our fault. We as parents must set boundaries for them; after all, children with boundaries always know where they stand. We need to ensure that a game which only takes 30 minutes to play is not taking up 14 hours per day. Here are some tips for parents to remember:

• Make sure that computer games are not their child's primary activity or form of entertainment.
• Computer games should only be allowed after children have taken care of other responsibilities.
• Access to computer games should be viewed as an earned privilege, not an automatic right.

One helpful tool for dealing with children addicted to computer games is the "Parental Control" settings that are present on all modern game consoles. These password protected options usually allow parents to control what their children play and how much time is allotted. On the PC side, access to specific games as well as specific time limits can be set via 3rd party software solutions. Make sure you learn how to set these options — they can be very helpful for helping children addicted to computer games.

The Fortnite community is a fabulous one; the group helps others to enjoy the game, by setting boundaries for your child they can enjoy it to and the you will soon see the attitude and frustration fade away.