Your Kid Could Be Bullied For Not Buying Skins In Fortnite: 'No Distinction Between Online, Offline World,' Study Says

Two recent studies conducted in Norway shed light on the significant impact of video games on children aged 10 to 15, revealing concerning trends in social behaviors and spending habits.

According to Kotaku, the research aimed to understand the relationship between children and popular games like FIFA, Fortnite, and Warzone, within the context of Norway’s governmental initiative.

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Findings indicate that younger players face bullying based on their lack of cosmetic skins, with in-game items being used as social currency to gain popularity. The studies, led by Kamilla Knutsen Steinnes and Clara Julia Reich of Oslo Metropolitan University, emphasize that a child's appearance in a game can crucially affect how their peers treat them.

Steinnes highlighted: “Children may experience being called poor if they haven’t spent money on their character. Children who have spent money on their in-game character can gain increased attention and other advantages, thus buying popularity.”

Moreover, children's digital and real lives have become intertwined, with online appearances carrying as much weight as real-life attire.

“There’s no sharp distinction between their online and offline world. These are just different parts of the social world they navigate, and appearance, or skins, are important identity markers,” Reich added.

The pressure to conform to gaming trends and purchase in-game items has become pervasive, fueled by constant advertising from game publishers.

This pressure exacerbates feelings of exclusion among children who cannot afford to participate, leading to instances of bullying and social ostracization, particularly affecting girls. One 14-year-old girl, Sidra, recounted, “I heard things like ‘go back to the kitchen’, and it was like ‘you’re a girl, die, die, die’. It was, like, very graphic.”

Additionally, children are susceptible to scams within the gaming environment due to a lack of consumer competence and aggressive sales tactics.

Reich explained: “This is problematic because children and young people are a vulnerable consumer group navigating almost unregulated markets on their own.”

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