Minor Children Addicted to 'Fortnite'
Impact on Daily Life Including Sleep and Meals
Class Action Lawsuit Against Game Developer in Canada
[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Foreign media reported that parents in Canada have filed a class-action lawsuit against a game company. The reason is that the addictive game developed by the company is negatively affecting their children's daily lives.
On the 9th (local time), according to the British BBC, the Quebec Superior Court in Canada approved a class-action lawsuit filed by three parents with minor children addicted to the game against the game developer Epic Games and its subsidiaries.
The game in question is Fortnite, released by Epic Games in 2017. It is a battle royale-style shooting game where 100 users compete online to be the last one standing. The number of users is 350 million, accounting for 70% of Epic Games' total, indicating its high popularity.
According to the parents who filed the lawsuit, children addicted to this game often skipped meals and did not get proper sleep. As they continued playing the game and lost self-control, the game became a higher priority than daily life. There was even a claim that one child spent more than 7,700 hours playing the game in less than two years.
The parents believed that the cause of their children's addiction to the game lies with the game developer. They argued that Epic Games intentionally developed a highly addictive game to trap teenagers in the game's snare.
They particularly cited the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies gaming addiction as a disease. In May 2019, at the WHO General Assembly, the agenda to include 'gaming disorder' as a disease code was passed. Accordingly, gaming addiction was classified as a disorder caused by addictive behaviors similar to gambling, establishing criteria for treating gaming addiction.
Regarding this lawsuit, Sylvain Lussier, a judge at the Quebec Superior Court, said, "It is by no means trivial." He compared the current level of awareness about gaming addiction to the early awareness of tobacco addiction, explaining that "the harmful effects of smoking were not recognized or acknowledged overnight." He added that other Quebec residents who have experienced addiction symptoms after playing Fortnite since September 1, 2017, can also participate in this lawsuit.
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