Shh...my son doesn't play 'Fortnite'

Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of – and deal with – the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it’s 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

This July, as the orthodontist wheeled over to my son to tighten his braces, he tried to make conversation.

“How’s the summer. How’s Fortnite?” he asked. 

“Oh. Sorry, I don’t play,” my son shrugged.

“You don’t play?” He stopped cold. “I…I don’t know what to talk about.” 

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” my son said. 

There are no clear reports on the number of middle school boys playing Fortnite, but as the parent of a 13-year-old who doesn't, my guess is nearly all of them. According to the Teens, Social Media and Tech 2018 survey by Pew Research Center, 97% of boys play video games “in some form or fashion” and Fortnite has dominated the gaming space since its release in July 2017. With over 125 million downloads and 80 million active players in August alone, in-game revenue is projected at $2 billion this year.  Read more...