It seems that digital technology is having a greater toll on society than only high street closure: 200 couples in the UK have cited addiction to online gaming as grounds for divorce.
According to Divorce Online, a British company offering divorce services and resources, online survival game Fortnite has been given as a reason for couples’ parting of ways. The gaming sensation has more than 125 million registered players worldwide and has a revenue of over $1 billion since its release last year.
Divorce Online pointed out that the 200 couples whforo cited “Fortnite” and other online games as a reason for divorce only occupy a small percentage of the total number of divorces filed in 2018.
“These numbers equate to roughly 5% of the 4,665 petitions we have handled since the beginning of the year and as one of the largest filers of divorce petitions in the UK, is a pretty good indicator.”
“Addiction to drugs, alcohol and gambling are have often been cited as reasons for relationship breakdown but the dawn of the digital revolution has introduced new addictions,” a spokesperson for the company wrote in a statement.
“These now include online pornography, online gaming, and social media, so it is no surprise to us that more and more people are having relationship problems because of our digital addictions.
Since its launch in 2017, Fortnite has been downloaded over 100 million times. The game is free to play and it allows as many as 100 players to play against each other in a wide range of game modes. Its most popular format is the BattleRoyale, in which 100 players fight against each other on an island until only one of them survives.
Widely popular among teenagers thanks to its availability on mobile devices, the game has been blamed for extremely tired students and violent behaviour in children. However, it appears that the addictive game does not only affect younger players.
Despite the negative opinions, Fortnite remains as one of gamers’ favourite, with approximately 40 million players playing the game every month. Epic Games, the game’s developer, has even pledged to give away $100 million of prizes at Fortnite tournaments over the coming year.
