Remember the good old days, back when the TV was called an “idiot box” and parents were warned not to let it replace them when it came to their children? Now, of course, idiot boxes are everywhere, and chances are good you have one either sitting nearby or in a pocket. You may even be reading this on your personal idiot box. And as time has gone on, the term “idiot box” may not be relegated to a television, computer, tablet, or phone. It may also refer to a gaming console. Yes, I know that everyone needs some downtime, and plenty of people of all ages enjoy decompressing with their favorite game. But kids should know when to say when. And their parents should definitely know.
Take Fortnite, for example. Three parents in Canada are suing Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite. The complaint is that their children became so engrossed in Fortnite that they did not shower, eat, or sleep. PC Mag reports that one child played 6,923 games, while another played 7,700 for three hours a day at a bare minimum over a two-year period. One of the children was diagnosed with an addiction, according to the filing.
It is the parents’ contention that Epic Games deliberately made the games addicting. According to the site, Canadian Superior Court judge Justice Sylvain Lussier ruled that the suit can move forward, commenting that the suit was not frivolous or ill-founded. He added that there is a “serious issue to be argued, supported by sufficient and specific allegations to the risks or even dangers arising from the use of Fortnite.” Epic has responded by claiming that it would fight the lawsuit, claiming it has “industry-leading parental controls that empower parents to supervise their child’s digital experience.”
Whether or not Epic Games or other gaming companies or internet platforms design their products or content to be addictive is certainly a valid question that has not received the scrutiny that it deserves. And to what degree people in power have been complicit is also worth investigating. After all, PC Mag reported back in August of the year that legislators in California killed a bill that would have made it illegal for gaming companies and social media platforms to knowingly addict children. Lawmakers were reportedly under pressure from social media companies. Go figure.
But there is another question to be answered. News flash, mom and dad: the internet is not a safe place. And just because your kids are sitting still and being quiet doesn’t mean that they are involved in something good. The recent revelations from Twitter are perfect examples of this, and it has been known for years that there is no shortage of violent and illicit content available for anyone who wants to access it. And with the advent of online gaming, predators have adapted to using the platforms as hunting grounds. Even Megyn Kelly’s fanbase took her to task in recent podcast reviews for advertising a product to help parents make TikTok safer for kids. TikTok, even in its most allegedly benign incarnation, isn’t safe for anyone.
Kids are tech-savvy, more so than their parents in many cases. But that doesn’t make them smart or give them life experience. It makes them vulnerable. So where were the parents all this time? How many meals, bedtimes, and homework assignments did junior have to miss before someone noticed there was an issue? How long did he smell like a barnyard before his parents thought that maybe it was time to look into the problem?
I am not saying that Big Tech and social media do not engage in questionable things and view adults and children alike as products. But those things are in our lives to a certain degree with our permission. We can rant about technology all we want, and we may even win lawsuits. But we also have the capability of turning that garbage off. It isn’t always easy, and it may make life less fun, at least at first. But the stories of people who ditched social media or took time away from the console to engage with real life are legion. And those people are happier because of their decisions.
Parents are the ones in charge. Parents pay the bills. And parents have the right and responsibility to pull the plug.
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