Prince Harry goes into 'dad' mode, calls for ban on 'Fortnite' video game
Prince Harry is now in the midst of settling in after his move to Windsor from the Kensington Palace. However, it seems like the Duke of Sussex, who is due to be a father later this month when his wife Meghan Markle gives birth to the couple's firstborn, may be getting a bit overzealous when it comes to handling parental responsibilities.
We already have a fair idea of that since Meghan and Harry seem pretty excited about their new baby's arrival. The parents-to-be have even thought through a lot of practices they want to put in place so that their child gets to grow up in a safe and sound environment, including giving them a gender-neutral setting.
But on Wednesday, Prince Harry took his passion for disciplining kids to the next level by asking to ban the popular video game 'Fortnite', claiming that the game is "too addictive". The Duke of Sussex was reportedly speaking at an event at a YMCA in west London when he expressed his views, as per CBS.
Of Fortnite, he said: "That game shouldn't be allowed. Where is the benefit of having it in your household? It's created to addict, an addiction to keep you in front of a computer for as long as possible. It's so irresponsible. It's like waiting for the damage to be done and kids turning up on your doorsteps and families being broken down."
Needless to say, Prince Harry's well-intentioned demand for a ban has irked avid gamers and it sparked tremendous outrage on social media, given that the BAFTA Gaming Awards are scheduled to take place in London in a few weeks' time. One Twitter user wrote, "Prince Harry only wants to ban Fortnite because he knows he'll never get a victory royal."
Another said, "I can't believe what I'm reading. Prince Harry said 'That game shouldn't be allowed.' about the best game the world has ever seen. I am completely outraged at this and will no longer support the @RoyalFamily. #DownWithTheGingers"
A lot of gaming fans have even called out the royal for his authoritative stance on the game, and have even asked for a ban to be put on Prince Harry himself. "Not a fan of #Fortnite; never even played the game but #PrinceHarry could not be more out of touch trying to get it banned. We don't ban art, movies or music in this country; games should be no different. Don't become THAT royal that gives people a reason to dislike the monarchy," said one Twitter user.
The prince further added that social media can be "more addictive than alcohol and drugs, yet it's more dangerous because it's normalized and there are no restrictions to it." Even this was taken with a pinch of salt by most people, given Harry's stance on video games.
"Regressive authoritative #princeharry is calling for a #Fortnite ban and social media control due to addiction. Why not lead the way and stop using social media himself then? Or alternatively, use one of his many social media platforms to publish his DNA results," commented one user on Harry's social media warning.
Given that Meghan and Harry are at the cusp of parenthood at the moment, a lot of people have found Harry's attitude towards social media and gaming in children to be patronizing at best. "A royal calls for a ban on #Fortnite. Don’t know what your parenting experience is - but the video game is a source of agitation in my household for the son. Snapchat is a source of friction for my daughter," wrote one user.
The Duke of Sussex's statements on gaming and the perils of social media come only a day after Harry and Meghan launched their very own Instagram account so as to mark the separation of the couple's houses and responsibilities from The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, i.e., Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's profile, described by an expert as "highly stylised", racked up a staggering 150,000 followers in the 30 minutes after it was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon, and by Wednesday morning had accumulated a record-breaking 2.2 million followers. The Guinness World Records confirmed they had broken the record by reaching the 1 million milestone in just 5 hours and 45 minutes.
It is definitely refreshing to see Harry in his dad-mode, but he needs to tone it down and focus on just his kids at the moment.