Ever since the game Fortnite came out as a paid early access title for Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on July 25, 2017, people have been obsessed with playing the co-op sandbox survival game, where one player competes with others online.

Since then there have been many complaints — especially from parents — that spending too much time on the game has been taking away precious time from activities like reading, playing outside and spending time with family and friends. It almost seems like a new addiction that creates an antisocial and lazy attitude. Yes, I’ve heard the game is fun to play, but letting it take over your life doesn’t sound like fun to me.

This game has affected those around me tremendously. When I ask my friend if he wants to hang out or go do something outside because of the rare nice weather we have, he’ll try and make up an excuse to not go and then literally five minutes later there will be a picture on his Snapchat of him winning his round and being the Victory-Royal, which is when you are the last person, duo, or squad remaining in Fortnite and you win the game.

I think it’s sad that someone has to come up with an excuse just so they can play a video game, wasting hours upon hours on a video game that does not improve you mentally and takes all of your attention rather than taking responsibilities in everyday life such as school work, chores and spending time with people. This leads to tremendous procrastination in school, work or anything that requires your full attention. Kids who have been guilty of playing the game Fortnite have told me and posted online that the game has totally taken up time for studying and getting homework done.

Parents are also having a big problem with their kids spending too much time on the game. It’s keeping kids from doing chores around the house and taking care of basic responsibilities. The game has become too much of a distraction for teens and young kids, causing attention problems when trying to get them to do something in reality.

Not only is it an addiction issue, but it also can hurt your eyes big-time.

According to RebuildYourVision.com, prolonged bouts of video gaming can also cause symptoms very similar to Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS — a condition resulting from focusing the eyes on a computer or other display device for protracted, uninterrupted periods of time. The hundreds of people on screens playing Fortnite should definitely know that CVS is at risk which follows with the symptoms.

When it comes to playing video games, there are many elements that can cause mental health issues. Since Fortnite is a survival game it involves violence, and personally I think if younger kids are playing this game it may cause mental manipulation problems. This doesn’t always happen, but there are certain studies that prove that playing games like Fortnite can resolve in violent thoughts to even having violent behavior.

Overall the game Fortnite is a addictive game that many find to be fun, but also has caused a big distraction and people should realize how badly it affects your health.