Fortnite may be one of the most successful video game franchises in recent memory, but its rise to the top hasn't been without controversy. One of the biggest controversies surrounding the wildly popular battle royale shooter is the potential impact it has on children, with some schools in the UK writing letters to parents pointing to a link between the game and a change in their kids' behavior.

Various schools from Gloucestershire county in England have written letters to parents, warning them about potential aggressive behavior from kids who play Fortnite. Widden Primary School in Gloucester has taken things a step further, holding sessions with parents and various age groups of kids to discuss the game.

"We have been talking to them about the behaviours we have seen in school, in particular in relation to anger, aggression, attitude and bad language," said Debbie Innes, deputy head at Widden Primary School. Some of this poor behavior includes talking about "killing people" in school, as well as cyber-bullying.

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According to Hannah Beale, a teacher at Foxmoor Primary School in Stroud, cyber-bullying has come about thanks to Fortnite's many skins it has available for purchase. Beale says Fortnite players specifically target characters with certain skins.

While some people may be dismissive of these teachers' concerns about Fortnite and how the game potentially influences the behavior of school-aged children, it's clear that this is a growing problem that will need to be addressed at some point. Fortnite has been blamed for other mental health issues with children, sometimes to the extreme of kids being sent to rehab for their apparent addiction to the game.

Whether or not Fortnite is to blame for these behavioral issues or there are some other underlying problems that may be the cause is up for debate. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how this develops, especially now that gaming addiction is officially recognized by the World Health Organization as a mental illness.

Fortnite is out now in early access for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.

Source: The Sun