Technology's Effect on Literacy

This essay examines the detrimental effects of the popular video game Fortnite on children's literacy and education. The author argues that the game's addictive nature, violent content, and time-consuming gameplay negatively impact children's school performance, social skills, and overall well-being. The essay cites examples from Australia and the United States, highlighting concerns raised by schools, parents, and child psychologists. While acknowledging some potential benefits of video games, the author emphasizes the need for further research and responsible gaming habits to mitigate the negative consequences of games like Fortnite on young children's development.

Name:
Professor name:
Subject: Technology and its Effects on Literacy
Date: February 13, 2019
Introduction
Technological innovations have changed the lives of the individual in both a negative
and positive way. The positive effects have encouraged mankind to involve in further
innovations. However, at the same time, it becomes important to understand the negative
impact and work on it for reducing them. The technological innovation which has been
discussed here in the thesis is Computer video games.
This technological innovation of the 21st century is being criticised for creating
educational gaps in children which is impacting the quality of life of future generations. This
issue has been discussed in detail by analysing various viewpoints related to it. In order to
demonstrate the concerns related to such technological innovation, the impact of the most
recent and popular computer game- Fortnite Video Game has been analysed.
Reason 1 in support of the thesis
The computer game which is popular is Fortnite Video Game which was released in
2017 and has various game modes, Fortnite: Save the world, Fortnite Battle Royale, Fortnite
Creative. This game is available in both Android and iOS version. The game is popular
among children and currently has around 125 million players (Marc).
This is severely impacting the education of children at a tender age. Recent news
showed that the schools in Australia have been sending letters to the parents about the
negative effects of Fortnite games. This multiplayer game has been linked to changes in the

behaviour of children at school and the playground. This effect has been specially noticed on
boys in K2 standard. The children are seen using inappropriate and abusive language through
the moments of online playing.
This game is engaging and addicting for the children of tender age. Around hundreds
of players can play this game at one time through online mode. They are required to eliminate
the other players through savaging supplies, finding weapons and building structures until
only one player is left (MILLER, 714).
Such model and storyline of the game are severely impacting the behaviour of
children towards higher aggressiveness. The parents are also concerned about the safety of
their children as the game features various forbidden locations, which works on the
psychology of a child to explore new places alone. Also, the amount of time spent on such
games is very high which leads to very less time for other educational activities. The impact
of such technological advancement is leading to the future generation which has less time for
exercise or socialises.
In countries like United Kingdom, such games are now being monitored by
Children’s Commissioner and avoid any addictive platform which can undermine the health,
safety, and education of the future generations of the country.
A similar situation has been noticed in the United States where the effects of Fortnite
game have been negative. The parents have raised concerns about the ‘fortnite' habit of their
children and some cases have been registered where this game has destroyed not only their
social life but also their own personal life. This addiction is known as interfering their sleep,
schoolwork and their life goals.

Reason 2 in support of the thesis
Another concern area for the impact of Fortnite video game is the way it impacts the
psychology of young children. Some of the recent research shows that especially boys are
addicted to it. These children are also showing a higher incidence of distractibility and poor
performance in schools ("Supplemental Material For Once upon a Game: Exploring Video
Game Nostalgia and Its Impact on Well-Being").
Further, the game is creating a negative impact on the parent-child relationship. This
was identified by the American Academy of Paediatrics who has insisted that the games with
the objective of killing make them insensitive towards social issues at later age.
Some of the paediatric psychologists suggest that children at this age should spend
more time socializing and being physically active in outdoor games. Thus the quality of
learning is severely affected by the future generation which is becoming highly dependent on
computer games for spending their early childhood.
Conclusion
However, some of the experts also view these computer games as a mode of
intellectual development in kids. These games expose them to ideas and concepts which can
be later used in life for strategic planning during their professional career.
Some of them also view these games as a means to develop the imagination of
children which help them be more creative and innovative. But these diverse viewpoints
should be thoroughly researched before exposing the young children to the games which
“involve human killing’.

References
Marc, Max. "Not Playing The Game: Negative Opinions About Online Dating And Video
Gaming Among Non-Participants." Journal For Virtual Worlds Research, vol 10, no. 2,
2017. Virtual Worlds Institute, Inc., doi:10.4101/jvwr.v10i2.7273.
MILLER, MONICA K. "Exploring The Relationship Between Video Game Ratings
Implementation And Changes In-Game Content As Represented By Game Magazines."
Politics & Policy, vol 38, no. 4, 2010, pp. 705-735. Wiley, doi:10.1111/j.1747-
1346.2010.00255.x.
"Supplemental Material For Once Upon A Game: Exploring Video Game Nostalgia And Its
Impact On Well-Being." 2018. American Psychological Association (APA),
doi:10.1037/ppm0000208.supp.