*By Max Godnick*
Some child psychologists are starting to see young patients struggling with the effects of playing too much Fortnite, the apocalyptic survival video game played by more than 125 million people since it launched last summer.
"They are seeing kids who are coming in, their parents are concerned, they're having a lot of trouble putting the game down," Sara Miller, the health editor at Live Science, said in an interview with Cheddar about some anecdotal reports from mental health professionals.
Miller said some of the child psychologists who spoke to Live Science [described](https://www.livescience.com/62796-fortnite-addiction-therapy.html) children developing an addiction to the battle royale-style game from Epic Games. One psychologist told Live Science that parents should cap their children's Fortnite gameplay at no more than six hours a week.
Children obsessively playing video games is not a new phenomenon, but there may be some aspects of Fortnite that have a particularly strong pull on young gamers. The game's colorful cartoonish aesthetic obscures its violent goal ー kill everyone. It's relatively short rounds (about 20 minutes) keep gamers coming back for more. "It's like pulling a slot machine," said Miller.
Fortnite's popularity can also be attributed to its accessibility: It is available on XBox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, iOS, and Nintendo's Switch. It's also free.
"That makes the barrier of entry really, really low," said Miller.
Some Fortnite proponents said the game is potentially beneficial to young gamers' development by helping them figure out how to construct solutions to unexpected problems. Users can build walls and other structures for cover during firefights. Microsoft leveraged similar world-building tactics for learning purposes when it launched Minecraft: Education Edition in 2016.
Miller says constructing barriers to protect from grenade launchers is no substitute for actual social interaction.
"Nothing really beats going out and making eye contact with people and interacting with them in person," she said.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/is-fortnite-sending-kids-to-therapy).
Babylist is an online baby registry for expecting and new parents, who can use the platform to share what they would like to receive as gifts to celebrate their baby's birth. The company also operates as an e-commerce and content platform for baby products, saying it aims to be a one-stop solution for parents, family, and friends to buy best-in-class baby products at what is a critical and deeply personal moment in their lives. Natalie Gordon, founder and CEO of Babylist. joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
One of the hottest stocks in the news, not for its price but mostly due to its maybe pending acquisition by Elon Musk, is Twitter. Cheddar's Ken Buffa goes in-depth into why the trials and tribulations of the social media platform, currently being accused by the Musk of holding back information on spam accounts, make it the stock of the day.
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Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down as Chief Operating Officer of Facebook's parent company Meta. After 14 years at a company she helped transform from a little-known social media website into one of the most powerful tech giants in the world, Sandberg announced she's leaving to spend more time with her family and focus on her philanthropic work. Evan Nierman, CEO of Red Banyan Crisis PR and author of Crisis Averted, joined Cheddar to discuss Sandberg's legacy at Facebook, her impact on women in the workplace, and what we can expect to see from her in the future.
Scammers are cashing in on the crypto craze. According to a new report from the FTD, fraudsters have stolen more than $1 billion in crypto from 46,000 people since 2021. That's $1 out of every $4 reported lost to scammers paid in cryptocurrency, more than any other payment method. Chris Pierson, the founder and CEO of BlackCloak, gives tips on how to protect yourself from scammers.
