{"id":29885,"date":"2019-10-18T13:18:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-18T12:18:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=29885"},"modified":"2019-10-18T13:18:53","modified_gmt":"2019-10-18T12:18:53","slug":"is-fortnite-the-new-drug-of-the-century","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/is-fortnite-the-new-drug-of-the-century\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Fortnite the new drug of the century?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Mohamed Ahamad<\/p>\n

The famed Fortnite, a game known by everyone- even those who live under a rock, has been hit with a new wave of criticism. This multiplayer first-person shooter game has garnered attention not for its new update, but for its alleged likeness to drugs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Parents of two children, aged 10 and 15, in Canada have filed a class action lawsuit against Fortnite according to Techspot<\/a>, claiming the game has a similar effect to cocaine, releasing dopamine which taps into the brain’s reward centre. Needless to say, it’s pretty addicting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just last year, the World Health Organization (WHO)<\/a>\u00a0acknowledged that \u201cvideo game addiction\u201d is a mental health disorder, and this May, it was approved by the World Health Assembly (WHA). What this means is that it will be considered a certified medical diagnosis that will come into effect by 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n