Hardly a day goes by without an editorial or video being published by a concerned parent lamenting their childrens obsession with Fortnite. If you are a parent yourself, as summer approaches, you are likely bracing yourself for the barrage of requests for more screen time to play with friends. From June 2018 to March 2019, Fortnites player base grew from 125 million players to 250 million, making it one of the most popular games in the world. Depending on who you talk to, Fortnite is either a colorful game that promotes creative problem solving and teamwork, or something more akin to an illegal drug. For many parents, it can feel impossible to discern between unwarranted moral panic and reasonable loving concern. When Fortnite causes so many problems in the home, many will take that as an opportunity to be done with games altogether. This would be a mistake, particularly when there are many worthwhile games out there with redemptive themes and benefits. Since summer is a time when we have more free time than usual to devote to our families, this episode highlights some video and board games you can allow your kids to play. There are video and board games that provide healthier, less compulsive reward loops and provide kids and parents with intrinsic rewards. These are games around which you and your children can have meaningful theological conversations and are games that can help them build healthier relationships both with technology and with you.

This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Drew Dixon about his online-exclusive Christian Research Journal feature article Summer Vacation, Kids, and Video Games: Better Alternatives to Fortnite.https://www.equip.org/article/summer-vacation-kids-and-video-games-better-alternatives-to-fortnite/

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