Introduced in July of 2017, the popularity of Fortnite, a free multiplayer video game, exploded overnight. A little over a year later, and it is still very popular, with a few colleges in America even offering scholarships to top players and parents purchasing the expertise of Fortnite tutors. With the continuous growth of eSports and competitive video gaming, Fortnite and other games have earned their place as not just a dumb pastime but a way to earn a spot in universities.

The Fortnite uprising should be embraced as a sign of changing times and as a chance to benefit from video games in real life ways.

Since their creation, video games have been criticized by parents and many adults because they seem to hold no value besides taking up time and sparking an addiction. However, video games, Fortnite in particular, now hold a tangible benefit in the form of scholarships. Adults often try to hang onto the past and force their old-fashioned way of life upon the younger generation, but the Fortnite craze is definite proof that society is constantly changing and moving towards new ideas. eSports is now a growing part of several colleges across America, proof that our society is evolving. With the rapid growth of technology in this century, so many new opportunities have arisen, and the fact that gamers can now receive a college education because of Fortnite is a cause for celebration, not the grumbling and groaning of older people.

College is really only accessible to those who are smart, gifted in athletics, or just rich. That leaves a lot of kids with no chance to attend, but now with colleges beginning to pick up on eSports, more kids have the opportunity. For example, Ashland University in Ohio offers up to $4,000 in scholarship money for elite fortnite players to be on their team, proof that what was once considered a useless hobby can now truly benefit young people. Teens that previously had no desire to attend college can now earn their way through gaming. Additionally, this gives parents a reason to pause and consider that the video games allegedly rotting their children’s minds are actually stimulating them and preparing them to one day compete for a top spot in universities.

Although those opposed to video games are entitled to dislike the popularity of Fortnite, there is no reason the younger generations cannot enjoy the trendy game. People need to rethink their close-mindedness towards this new, technology based world, especially since 85% of the projected job opportunities in 2030 do not even exist today. Life is not the same as it was 50 years ago because society is constantly evolving and changing, proved by the explosive popularity of Fortnite. If people dislike Fortnite, then they simply should not play it. There is no reason that the creative, tech-oriented people cannot keep developing more games and thinking of ways to make them more a part of everyday life.

Those set against Fortnite are not only opposed to a video game, but opposed to creativity and positive changes as well. This narrow mindset should be reconsidered to match our constantly evolving society. For too long people have been biased towards video games and all their potential; that needs to change.