Fox Business guest makes bizarre claim comparing Fortnite to heroin

Fortnite has been back in the mainstream thanks to the $30 million World Cup tournament, meaning it’s been making rounds with news networks and Fox Business have sensationally likened the game to being addicted to heroin.

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Millions of viewers around the world tuned into the Fortnite World Cup where each participant was able to bring home a good chunk of cash, whether they came in first or last place.

While Fortnite has proved to be a lightning rod of debate, with parents debating whether or not it’s good to let children play the game in their free time, Fox Business have taken the discussion to the next level. 

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Making an appearance on Mornings with Maria, a show on Fox Business, Dr. Kathryn Smerling talked about how Fortnite is actually compared to drugs. 

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“It is so addictive,” she said. “It is incredibly addictive. It has been likened to something like heroin. Even Prince Harry in Britain said ‘I don’t why anyone would have Fortnite in their home because it is like giving a child heroin’ and indeed it is, they have shown it be just as dangerous.”

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It’s been a constant debate about whether videos games are good for children or not, and it’s been common for it to be linked to creating violence in the youth along with being addictive.

If you thought that discussion would be put to rest once a wider audience saw how much money is to be made in the field then you would be greatly mistaken.

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Instead, the debate has been fueled again and parents are once again wary about how much time their kids should be spending on Fortnite and video games in general.

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The average age of players at the Fortnite World Cup was just 16 according to the official broadcast so it’s clear that players are playing at a much younger age than other traditional esports titles.

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However, a leap to considering Fortnite and video games as addictive as heroin seems to be a bit much. 

It definitely hasn’t stopped people from mentioning it as it’s not the first time it’s been said and will be far from the last.

Research has shown that playing video games at a young age can help social growth and cognitive development, among many other things according to Psychology Today.

It’s worth keeping in mind that there are lots of benefits to playing video games so there are definitely worse things your child could be doing, such as heroin.