15-year old hospitalized for two months after Fortnite addiction takes over

Although Fortnite addiction is not a real thing per se, playing for long hours does have negative effects on many individuals worldwide. Given the hype that surrounds the game, a lot of children and adults included don't know when to stop playing, which at times can be a bad thing.

Now, while many content creators grind the game day and night, the reasons are not so much related to "addiction", as they are to generating income from content, setting records, or trying to discover everything new about the game.

However, for younger audiences, especially teenagers, "Fortnite addiction" can be harmful if not controlled or identified in time. Such is the case of a 15-year old boy who was hospitalized for two months directly as a result of getting addicted to Fortnite.

Fortnite addiction takes hold of 15 year old boy; hospitalized for two months for "detoxification"

A 15 year old boy was admitted to a hospital for two months to treat his Fortnite addiction. According to the "Revista de Psiquiatría Infanto-Juvenil" (Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), the teenager had developed a behavioral addiction to Fortnite.

Based on reports, the teenager began to isolate himself at home and refused to interact with others. Eventually, the boy lost interest in his surroundings, which urged research looking into the matter to hospitalize him.

Thankfully there is a silver lining to the story here, as the young boy did recover from the addiction with the help of therapy. Furthermore, the study showcased that gaming was not the problem in itself; on the contrary, it can be beneficial.

Based on the data gathered from the research, games can be socially and educationally beneficial when used 'properly', rather than causing harm and distress. However, that's not how the community views the situation.

What does the community think about Fortnite addiction?

Well, although the matter was reported as a minor hospitalization case, most of the Fortnite community on Twitter considers the problem to be a joke, or an inconvenience at the most.

Given that the term "gaming addiction" was replaced by "Fortnite addition" to sensationalize the news, Epic Games has been the talk of the town following the lawsuit. The casual response displayed by the community is understandable to an extent.

Given that the word "addiction" is being used as a placeholder for the term "coping mechanism," it is somewhat inaccurate. While playing Fortnite or any game for long hours is bad for health, to specifically target one game and flag it as an addiction based on one study, and coining the term "Fortnite addiction" is rather unfair.

About the author

Matthew Wilkins is one of the top writers at Sportskeeda Gaming, having crossed 16 million views in just over three years. Matthew currently writes for Fortnite, MMO, and other sections as well. Speaking with developers of the Total War franchise and reviewing numerous AAA games have been key milestones in his career so far.

Matthew is a Communicative English Major, and his skills and experience have helped him dig deep in the world of esports and gaming journalism. He prioritizes accuracy and ensures nothing is second-guessed. Being connected to the community is an important aspect of his life, as it helps him keep track of credible insiders and leakers to be among the first to report on breaking news.

Matthew grew up playing video games, with Age of Empires serving as his gateway into the world. Currently, he leans towards real-time as well as turn-based strategy games, 4x, and similar genres, and frequently binge-plays solo or multiplayer titles on PC. His love for Red Dead Redemption 2 and Stellaris are unparalleled, matched perhaps only by Fortnite. Matthew is also a vocalist and performs a variety of genres like Glam Rock, Pop, Heavy Metal, and Rock when not writing.

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