Retouch your photos like a pro with these great picks!
Have you ever taken a picture for Instagram and thought there was something off about it? Maybe you wanted to post the perfect selfie, but there’s just one big blemish standing in the way. Thankfully there are a plethora of apps to help with this dilemma.
Pixtr is an auto retouch app that automatically detects and removes facial imperfections so you don’t have to. It’s a smart app that can be used for quick photo editing when needed.
VSCO is it’s own Instagram-esque community of photo-takers, however their editing tools and filters are a bit more sophisticated than Instagram’s. If you’re looking to have more editing options in the same style of Instagram, such as simple brightness changes and filters, than this app is perfect for you.
This app features a more customizable approach to editing the brightness and clarity of a photo than other photo-editing apps. Many apps feature an auto-enhance feature, while this one is easier to customize to your own preferences instead.
While the other apps on this list focus on editing specific photos, InShot is a great choice for a video editor to enhance your Instagram. With this, you can customize your videos to fit your Instagram’s style.
Out of every photo-editing app, FaceTune is probably the one you’ve heard of the most. It’s basically a more customizable version of Pixtr, where you can edit your photos for blemish removal and reconstructing facial imperfections. This app is by far the best face editor around, if you have the time to learn and use it properly.
With all these great apps to use, you’ll be an Instagram star in no time! Be sure to follow Softonic’s Instagram page while you’re rising to stardom.
Is the YouTube algorithm causing a mental health crisis?
In the past, becoming a famous entertainer was a pipe dream. You’d need to get lucky and get discovered by an agent at a mall, endure hundreds of auditions, and know the right people. After all that, if you were astronomically lucky, you’d get on TV.
While all of that largely remains true, the rise of Web 2.0 and user-based content platforms like YouTube and Instagram has made it exponentially easier to become a famous entertainer. Nowadays nearly everyone has a high definition camera, editing studio, and branding platform sitting nicely in their pocket. The barrier to entry is lower than its ever been, allowing anybody with a camera or platform to become a YouTube star.
For popular content creators, making YouTube videos is a full-time job. In terms of finances, it could be more than worth quitting your job. Top YouTubers make anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars per year off of advertising revenue, sponsorships, and donations. The highest paid YouTuber of 2017, DanTDM, made over $16.5 million. Being paid enormous amounts of money to be famous and create funny videos may sound amazing, but these creators’ careers are constantly in flux due to the way YouTube uses algorithmic software to recommend and promote certain videos.
So, what is this all-powerful YouTube algorithm?
The YouTube algorithm is the program that YouTube uses to automatically determine what kind of videos you like and which videos to recommend to you. The algorithm gathers data on user viewing habits and changes itself to match current internet trends. The program has grown so large and gathered so much data that even its creators at YouTube don’t completely understand how it works nowadays.
When you create your YouTube account, the first thing the algorithm does is try to figure out who you are and what you’re into. If the algorithm determines that you’re a college-aged male who likes watching people play video games, it’s going to start recommending you videos about gaming. Now that it knows this about you, it’s going to recommend you videos that are popular with other college-aged male gamers, creating a feedback loop in which people who fit in the same categories all see the same thing.
This phenomenon causes certain select channels who please the algorithm to shoot up in popularity, often over a very short period of time. This system is generally not a bad thing for viewers, as it shows you videos that are relevant to your interests and promotes the most proven and successful content. However, for content creators, the algorithm is a suffocating and merciless beast that forces them to constantly churn out videos or be banished into irrelevance.
Creators vs The Algorithm
To get noticed by the algorithm, content creators need just one smash hit video to get the ball rolling. This is difficult, as the number of views required for a video to be considered viral gets higher every day. However, if their video ends up becoming a hit, the algorithm will soon start recommending the creator’s other videos. When this happens, the creator’s views and subscriber count explodes overnight.
Once the creator is in this position, in order to maintain their popularity they’re expected by both their audience and the algorithm to produce content very frequently that is at the same level of quality as their original hit video.
Creators must adhere themselves to strict schedules and post high-quality videos on a daily or weekly basis if they are to maintain favor with the algorithm. If the creator either misses their schedule or produces videos that don’t click with audiences, they will be cast out by the algorithm and their videos will no longer be recommended by it to users. Because YouTube is saturated with content on nearly every conceivable hobby or subject, the algorithm will have no problem finding a similar creator to replace you.
Algorithmic burnout
The algorithm’s brutal emphasis on consistency and frequency often leads creators to experience burnout. Recently, waves of YouTubers have created videos of themselves describing their feelings of burnout and depression caused by the merciless algorithm. Prominent gaming YouTuber Jacksepticeye recently sat down with fellow YouTuber h3h3 to describe the feeling of burnout caused by YouTube and its algorithm. (The interview below contains some harsh language)
The rigorous schedule expected of the algorithm affects every dedicated YouTuber, whether they have hundreds of subscribers or millions. The automated system of video curation makes YouTubers feel disposable, constantly living in fear that they’re one missed or weak video away from fading into irrelevancy. Promoting quantity and consistency over all else has caused many YouTubers to experience mental health issues. The suffering of these creators is often reflected in their work, and fans will notice that their videos are lower in quality or harsher in tone than they used to be. This is all to say nothing of the inevitable torrents of toxicity and anonymous abuse by trolls that comes with being any sort of prominent figure on the internet.
How to edit and share video game footage on Youtube
YouTube has an absolutely enormous amount of content. Every second, one hour’s worth of video is uploaded onto the platform. It would be nothing short of impossible for human employees to sort through videos without the help of an algorithm. So what can YouTube do to help maintain the mental health of its biggest stars? It can start by making changes to the algorithm, de-emphasizing the quantity and frequency of content. It could still take those into consideration, but it could widen the window of time creators have to upload videos before being shut out. Instead of emphasizing daily content, the algorithm can focus more on weekly or monthly content, giving creators more breathing room.
YouTube can also continue creating resources that help creators deal with stress and burnout. They’ve created a video through their Creators Academy series that teaches creators how to handle burnout. The creation of these videos is a good sign, as it shows YouTube is aware of the mental health issues created by their algorithm, and that steps are being taken to help fight this phenomenon.
When YouTubers are suffering, everyone involved with the platform loses. Creators suffer and make low-quality content, audiences lose out on videos they love, and YouTube gains bad press and loses revenue. If YouTube wants to maintain their dedicated base of creators, they must make drastic changes to their algorithm in order to preserve their mental health.
Nature can mess you up. Here’s how to make sure you stay on top of the food chain.
Spend a lot of time outdoors and you’re spending a lot of time in the domain of the animals. Unless you are inordinately unlucky, though, you probably won’t be on the receiving end of a hungry lion upon stepping out your front door! Depending on where you live, however, your likelihood of being threatened by some of the animals on this list will likely go up. While arm-wrestling a shark might not happen to you tomorrow, potentially dangerous animals like snakes, bears, or even dogs live in all parts of the world. Learning how to react to these encounters might just save your life.
Here’s our list of 10 dangerous animals you may encounter, and the best ways to ensure your safety:
How to survive encounters with these 10 animals
1. Dogs
Dogs are Man’s Best Friend, but if you encounter a feral stray with no one around, you could very easily become threatened. Dogs react to movement, as it triggers a chase instinct. This means that you’re more susceptible if running, jogging, or on a bike. Like some of the other animals on this list, dogs are territorial, and if you tread on what they consider to be their property, they may act defensively. First and foremost, do not try to run. It’s almost a guarantee you will lose a race against a dog, and even trying will just trigger their natural instinct to give chase.
If you slow your pace, avoid eye contact, and then stand still (preferably with your side facing the dog, as you’ll look thinner and less threatening), you’re no longer as imposing to him. Next, try not to look or act afraid; it’s not that dogs can ‘sense your fear’ as some people think – it’s that if they can get a rise out of you, they’ll be confident enough to keep pushing the attack. If you appear confident and in charge, the dog will reconsider attacking you, considering you too tough to mess with.
Distracting the dog is also a good bet – throw something away from you that the dog might consider a toy, or even just pretend to pick up and throw something. That way you’re taking the attention away from yourself. If you do get bitten, immediately rinse the bite area with cold water and wrap bandages around the open wound to stop the bleeding. Then see a doctor, even if you don’t think you need to; stray dogs can be rabid, and you may need shots.
2. Jellyfish
If you’re stung by a jellyfish, you’re due for a long period of discomfort. While there’s little way to prevent being stung (other than not venturing into the ocean), it’s a good idea to talk to lifeguards on duty before venturing in the water. They should be able to tell you how frequent jellyfish attacks have been lately. If you are stung, there’s an urban legend claiming that urinating on a burn will lessen the pain. This is not true.
Rather, salt water is actually the best thing for it. In all likelihood, you’re pretty close to salt water already! Avoid applying fresh water to the burn area, however, as it will actually make the situation worse. Lastly, you need a way to remove the jellyfish parts from your wound. Tweezers are best, but if you don’t have them, opt for a stick or even a seashell.
3. Snakes
Snakes may be the most dangerous animal on this list since they’re found all around the world and are very easily camouflaged. They are responsible for more than 100,000 deaths a year, but it’s largely because people don’t know how to act around them. The good news is that most snakes are not poisonous and 80% of bite incidents with snakes occur as a result of foolishly trying to catch them. Please don’t be that guy.
Stomping your feet will help as the vibrations in the ground will confuse the snake, while slowly stepping away from it. If you’ve been bitten, definitely don’t try to suck the poison out of the wound like they do in the movies; if you’re not a professional, you’ll likely end up ingesting the poison yourself. Instead, immediately call in an emergency. They’ll tell you to wash the bite with running water. Do so and if you know how to apply a tourniquet, do so and by the time you have it on, the ambulance will hopefully already be there.
4. Bees
Bees are dangerous because they can build a hive without you even knowing they did so. Most common in the spring and summer, keep your eye on wood crevices, low-hanging trees, old buildings, or abandoned cars as they are often good nesting grounds for these insects.
If you do find yourself near a bunch of bees DO NOT ATTACK THEM. Not only will it make them angry, but honeybees are in serious jeopardy of becoming extinct. Rather just run away from them, shake any baggy clothing to make sure they haven’t gotten trapped inside. Bees are also attracted to black, so try and wear white clothing if you’re going on walks through the meadows in spring or summer. And stay off that island from “The Wicker Man.”
5. Bears
Bear attacks are rare, but if you’re extremely unlucky they may still happen in some wooded areas. If you do encounter a bear, reading body language is vital to your survival. Do not try to run. First of all, you won’t be able to outrun it (bears can run up to 30 miles per hour), and second of all, it will only make you look like prey, similar to with the shark or lion.
It may be counter-intuitive, but your best bet is actually to play dead. Fall to the ground and curl into a ball, using your hands to cover your neck. The bear might try and play with your body for a little – it’ll be scary, but just let it. As long as it thinks you’re dead it won’t do any further harm.
If you watch Shark Week you might already know that out of 150 species of shark only 20 will actually attack humans. The odds are in your favor, as of all the animals on this list, it’s actually least likely that you’ll encounter a shark. If you do and if it’s one of the 20 species that attacks humans, even then they won’t acknowledge you unless they perceive you to be food.
To avoid seeming like food, do not bleed or urinate in the ocean, and you should remain out of their range of interest. Should you meet a shark face to face, don’t turn and swim away; you’ll just look like prey. Rather stay as motionless as you can, and if you are attacked aim for the shark’s eyes and gills, as they are the most sensitive areas.
7. Crocodiles (or alligators)
Alligators boast the strongest jaws of any animal on the planet. As the Crocodile Hunter exploited time and time again, however, that only accounts for when they’re biting down. If you can manage to keep their mouth closed, they won’t be able to get it open in the first place. Obviously, though, we hope it doesn’t come to you wrestling down an alligator!
Crocodiles (and lizards in general) are capable of extremely fast movement over very short distances, but they won’t be able to outrun you at length. They’re also not unable to consistently make sharp turns while pursuing, so running in a zigzag is a good way to keep them far away. If you’re swimming when you notice the crocodile, keep down the noise and movement as much as you can; splashing or shouting will just draw their attention.
8. Elephants
Elephants are generally friendly, but if a female elephant thinks you’re a danger to her young she can mess you up pretty bad. As with any animal on this list, reading body language is important – if the elephant has her ears pulled back and her trunk curled, she may try to trample you.
Running from an elephant is difficult given their massive size, so if it comes to it you’ll need to find something to put between the two of you, like a rock, log, or fence. Try and keep it between you and the angry elephant until she loses interest, grows tired, or help arrives.
9. Lions
As with sharks, maintaining eye contact is equally important when dealing with lions. Never turn your back on them. Remember that lions are essentially big cats, so if they perceive that they could get a sneak attack on you they’ll be enticed to try and do it. Like cats, lions also have a heightened fight or flight mechanism.
If you make yourself look big and loud, they’ll be confused and will generally want to avoid dealing with you. Lions (being cats) are also easily frightened by dogs. If you have a more vocal, protective dog with you, the lions won’t come close.
While it’s unlikely that you’ll encounter a gorilla, accidents at the zoo could potentially happen. Gorillas are prideful creatures who are highly protective of their territory and their families. The best way to avoid confrontation with a gorilla is to play the obedient passive: Sit down to make yourself seem less large, and avoid eye contact and speak in a whisper to seem less of a challenge.
If the gorilla is provoked to hostility, however, do the same approach you did for the bear – drop, curl into a ball, and do not fight. Remember that gorillas are prideful and won’t attack someone who’s defenseless and weak.
Hopefully, this list will help you prepare should you find yourself in any of these scenarios. Be careful out there, and if there’s a chance you’ll run into a particular animal we covered, plan accordingly!
One of DC’s most infamous villains is finally getting his own origin film. Here’s what we know so far.
The first standalone
Simply titled “Joker,” the film is a non-DCEU origin story set in New York in the 80s. Written and directed by Todd Phillips, it is set to be released on October 9, 2019. The movie comes after the incredibly well-received film adaptation of the comic “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore released in 2016, which told the story of the Joker as a comedian struggling to live off of his craft and support his family at the same time. After a series of most unfortunate events, he falls into crime and everything takes a steep nosedive from there.
Variety reports that “Joker” has been given a $55 million budget, and if this was a DCEU movie that would be a really low number, but with all things considered, the modest amount is understandable.
Who’s who in Gotham
Joaquin Phoenix has been cast as Arthur Fleck, the man who will evolve into the Joker. A photo posted on Instagram by Todd Phillips suggests Zazie Beetz will be in the film, though we don’t know who her character is.
Warner Bros. says the rest of the cast includes Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleschler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Wigham. Hopefully, they’ll release more info on which characters belong to those actors soon.
A new label appears
There are whispers that Joker will be the first film made under DC Black, the non-DCEU label which will aim to be the home of DC’s more underrepresented characters. The idea is that writers will have more artistic freedom without being tied to the rules of continuity of the cinematic universe. Teased at Comic-Con 2018, DC Black will be a darker and grittier representation of DC’s heroes and villains more fit for adult audiences. Gamespot says that writers will have free reign on the stories to reimagine them however they’d like, and they’ve also gotten ahold of the first six titles to be published:
Superman: Year One
Batman: Last Knight on Earth
Batman: Damned
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons
Wonder Woman: Diana’s Daughter
The Other History of the DC Universe.
Although the DC Cinematic Universe is all over the place what with Jared Leto’s project filming and being teased at the same time, we think “Joker” will be a fresh take on a dark and twisted character. Since filming just began last week, there’s no trailer yet, but take a look at the camera test for Arthur Fleck below. We’re stoked to see what else happens as the Joker movie progresses.
Gmail just got better. Here’s how to use all the new bells and whistles.
Have you noticed that your Gmail updated? With the new update comes some pretty cool new features that will make your Gmail experience better than it’s ever been.
4 great features in the new Gmail
1. Snooze your emails
With the new Gmail update, you can now snooze your emails so that you can get back to them later. Before the Gmail update, the only options for your emails was to keep them unread or mark them as read and hope you remembered to get back to them later. This new snooze feature simply removes emails from your inbox and brings them back later. This feature will work very well for any email that you know you need to respond to but you don’t have time for at the moment.
To activate the snooze feature, first select the email you want to snooze. You can do this by pressing down on the email in the Gmail app to select it, or by checking the box to the left of the email you want to select when on Gmail in your web browser.
Once you’ve selected the email, click the clock icon that appears in the toolbar (below the search bar in your web browser). You’ll then be able to snooze the email for a specific length of time. Once snoozed, the email will then be moved to the “Snoozed” label in your account.
2. Smart compose
Have you noticed that Gmail will prompt you with some possible responses at the bottom of an email? This new predictive text feature will give you some possible responses to emails. In addition, this new Gmail feature can save you time when sending short responses. Now you can simply click the “Thank you” prompt at the end of an email and it will send it in response. For anyone who stresses out over how to reply to an email, the smart compose feature of Gmail is a godsend!
To use smart compose, simply click on the appropriate text bubble that appears at the end of an email, right above “Reply.” You can either send this message as is or you can add more text to the email before you send it.
3. Confidential mode
Now, emails can self-destruct after a certain amount of time, just like Snapchats. With the new confidential mode, you can select when your email will expire and delete itself. Of course, this doesn’t keep your emails completely safe as they can always be captured via a screenshot, but if you’re trying to keep a secret, this confidential mode is perfect. For example, if you’re trying to plan a surprise birthday party for your wife, you can send confidential emails so the birthday girl won’t be able to see them if she happens to look at your inbox.
You can use confidential mode whenever you compose or reply to an email. To turn the feature on, you’ll need to click the clock/padlock icon in the bottom toolbar of your email (to the right of “Send”).
You can then set an expiration date for the email or require a passcode. Hit “Save” and you’re good to go!
4. Notifications
Before the update, Gmail would send you notifications for everything. However, with the new update, you can select to only be notified for important things. On your computer, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner and select “Settings.” Under Settings > General, scroll down to Desktop Notifications. Then select “Important mail notifications on.”
To change your notification settings on the Gmail app, go to Menu > Settings and tap your account. Then scroll down to Notifications and click “High priority only.”
With so many great changes added, be sure to explore the new Gmail and customize it to your liking!
Apple has had a busy few weeks with the release of a ton of new products. The iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and the Apple Watch 4 were all rolled out at the same time and have a lot of cool features, taking technology and innovation to a whole new level. It’s awesome that we are able to do things like ask Siri what the weather will be like on the iPhones, track our heart rate on the Apple Watch 4, and process transactions with Apple Pay.
But there’s one glaring problem. It’s really convenient to be able to autofill our information when shopping online, but how much of the information that we share is stored and who exactly has access to it? Are we trading our safety for convenience?
Apple has been drilling it into us – pretty much the entire time that they’ve been around – that they are huge on privacy. They’ve convinced us that user data and sensitive information is their number one priority. They say that most of the data stays on our mobile devices instead of being collected on their servers and can only be accessed by the passcodes that we create.
Okay, but what about outside parties? Sure, they don’t sell our private information, but some of our info does get seen. When we send out that chocolate chip cookie recipe request to Siri, it goes to Apple and no one else, but they did let advertisers check out our search history from places like the app store so they can better market something to us. This was how it worked until recently.
With iOS 12, we know more about what Apple is doing. A new addition to the iTunes Store & Privacy policy says that the number of phone calls and emails that users receive will create a “device trust score” for making purchases, and that the information will only be stored for a fixed time on Apple’s servers.
This score will be used to determine whether or not a purchase was true or if it’s a fraud. While we could understand that this information could be collected from phones, Apple says this applies to our Apple TVs as well. Apple doesn’t go into detail about what other “information on how you use your device” will be used.
Throw on your cape. We’ve got the best 5 superhero video games you’ll ever play!
Insomniac’s much anticipated Spiderman video game has finally hit shelves. By all accounts, it’s one of the best takes on everybody’s favorite wall-crawler yet. Don’t have the game yet? Or have you already finished the game but don’t want to take off the hero mask quite so soon? Here’s our list of the 5 best superhero games to help you scratch that crime-fighting itch.
Telltale Games mastered the art of the episodic adventure, and their take on Batman is no exception. Player choice is at the forefront here, letting players create their own version of the caped crusader. Will you play Batman as a cold, ruthless crime fighter? Or does he have a soft side? The choice is totally up to you as you take on some of the most infamous members of Batman’s rogues gallery, making the same weighty decisions as the Dark Knight himself. Also of note is the crowd play feature, which allows your friends to chime in and vote on the in-game decisions. It’s sure to lead to some interesting moments as you see exactly how your friends react under pressure!
Injustice 2 is less of a plot-based superhero adventure, and instead focuses on fighting. A huge selection of DC’s heroes and villains are available to choose from, allowing you to create the matchups of your dreams. Batman vs. Superman? Sure. The Joker vs. Hellboy? You got it. The game itself plays like a polished, seamless example of the fighting genre in the same vein as Mortal Kombat, and the graphics and visuals are stunning. Each character brings a unique visual style and move set to the table, allowing you to really get a feel for each individual hero… or villain.
If you’re more of a Marvel fan, this is the game for you. It’s a fighting game in the same vein as Injustice, but whereas Injustice adopts a more gritty, realistic graphical style, Marvel vs. Capcom has a cartoony, cel-shaded look that fits the atmosphere. It’s a ridiculous, over-the-top fighting game. In addition to some of Marvel’s greatest heroes, a whole host of Capcom characters are available for selection as well, including the team from Resident Evil. Each character’s controls help you actually feel like that character, whether it be commanding Rocket Raccoon’s hefty arsenal or jumping around the screen as Spidey. Injustice is pure DC, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is pure Marvel.
2. inFamous: Second Son
inFamous: Second Son
inFamous: Second Son is a sequel to Sucker Punch’s first foray into the superhero genre on the PS3. Second Son improves on everything the first inFamous got right. Playing as Delsin Rowe, you’re a modern day hero, and a hero that you can play however you choose. Delsin can absorb the powers of other heroes, but you get to decide if he’ll use that power for good or for evil. Whatever route you choose for Delsin, this game really shines because it makes you actually feel the power of a superhero. It’s an intoxicating level of power, and part of that joy is getting to experience Delsin’s new powers for the first time. To that end, we won’t spoil too much of what he can actually do… but saying that it feels like playing as a god isn’t too far off.
Two Batman games on one list? Absolutely, because Batman: Arkham Knight is one of the best superhero games out there. In fact, we recommend the entire Batman: Arkham series, starting with Asylum. You don’t just get to play as Batman, you are Batman. From the fluid fighting controls to the puzzling investigations to the huge arsenal of gadgets, it’s a take on Batman that goes above and beyond. Aside from just playing as Batman, exploring Gotham City is a huge part of what makes this game. The city itself is a character, and is loaded with gorgeous, slightly creepy vistas and other easter eggs that the dedicated comic book fan is sure to appreciate. Arkham Knight is the latest and last entry in the Arkham series, and perfects all of the game’s unique mechanics. Oh, and did we mention that it’s the first game in the series that lets you drive the Batmobile?
From Star Lord to Starfire and beyond, there’s a hero for everyone. Whether your a Spidey fan or Batman die hard, there’s sure to be a game out there that’ll help you live out your superhero dreams.
What changes are coming for Shazam after Apple scooped it up?
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. (Or acquire them.)
On Tuesday, Apple announced it bought Shazam, currently the number one app for song recognition. If you’re out at a restaurant or in your car and hear a song that you want to know more about, Shazam will listen to a few bars of the track and ID the song. Though the price of the purchase hasn’t been confirmed, TechCrunch figured that the cost was about $400 million.
According to the official announcement, Shazam was one of the first apps released when the app store became a thing. It is one of the most popular, with 1 billion downloads and users accessing it over 200 million times a day. Not only can it tell you what song you’re listening to, but it can also store your song history, lets you listen to clips of the most listened to tracks around the world, and opens your selected track in Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music. You can purchase them in the iTunes store as well.
If this wasn’t exciting enough, the best part is that Apple says Shazam will soon be completely ad-free so that we can enjoy it without interruption. As for what this means for Android users of Shazam – we’ll have to wait and see.
How do you know if you’re addicted to Fortnite? Here are some warning signs and coping mechanisms.
Fortnite’s an awesome game… but is it too awesome? Specifically, has Fortnite become a tech addiction threat?
(Before going further, let us clarify: we’re not asking if Fortnite is good or bad. In fact, we’d argue it’s great! Still, too much of a good thing is almost always bad.)
The term “tech addiction” gained notoriety among professionals in past years. At it’s core, it begs the question: does a certain digital phenomenon – in this case, Fortnite – threaten to harm users by absorbing their time and thoughts?
Naturally, the definition remains broad, so we’ll examine tech addiction in more detail and define what it means exactly. After that, we’ll consider the specific dangers Fortnite poses, then end on what can be done to solve the problem.
There are various opinions on the nature of this problem.
Anthony Wallace’s article, “It’s Time For a Serious Talk About the Science of Tech ‘Addiction'”, provides an interesting point. With input from psychologist Andrew Przybylski, Wallace likens tech addiction to the nutritional scare that caused millions of Americans to swear off all fat from their diets.
It seems that if anything, the problem is not getting rid of tech (or Fortnite) but helping those susceptible to balance their usage. In the end, Wallace says, “And if we can avoid the same mistakes that led us to banish fat from our food, we stand a decent chance of keeping our technological diets balanced and healthy”.
In regard to Fortnite, there’s admittedly a better chance of abstaining from the game than there is from technology in general. However, many kids may have friends who play, and may even connect to each other through the medium developed by Epic Games. The increasing connectivity makes Fortnite hard to avoid and remove, and the connections made can actually be a great boost to a positive mindset and self-esteem. There’s no need to throw it out completely if it can be managed.
That said, Mo Perry’s article “How to Break Free of Tech Addiction” offers a few more hands-on ideas. Perry argues that, unlike many other addictive substances like alcohol or cigarettes, technology and games are often created to hook users… yet are treated as if harmless. Consider this: Fortnite is available on mobile and after the Android release, there have been over 15 million downloads. Without considering whether there’s a chance of becoming hooked, millions of users have Fortnite at their fingertips around the clock. That’s an unprecedented occurrence!
For this article, we place tech addiction somewhere between the two articles. While Fortnite shouldn’t be thrown out altogether in most cases, users need to check their own thoughts. If you’re not sure what addiction looks like, consider this:
So, ask yourself this: what do you want from life outside of gaming? Let that be your frame of reference! Fortnite can only hurt you if it’s actually distracting from something more important, whether that’s family, homework, a hobby, a job, or physical activity.
Why Fortnite?
So, why have we focused on this game specifically? There are plenty of other exciting video games, what makes this one different?
Well, Fortnite has a few characteristics that make it particularly gripping, beyond anything seen yet. To name a few:
1. Competition/perishable skills
Playing Fortnite makes you want to win! From the very first time you gain that Victory Royale, there’s a taste of triumph that makes you want to get back in the game. However, there’s a problem here…
Fortnite’s skills don’t stick around. As we’ve mentioned in other articles, skipping Fortnite one day can dramatically reduce your muscle memory when it comes to firing accurately. Players often feel they must grind consistently to maintain and improve their skills, or even hire a tutor. Whether or not this is wrong, it shows how important Fortnite has become to many people.
Is there really anything wrong with paying for a Fortnite tutor?
Still, at the same time, Fortnite may create a downward spiral: as the player becomes more involved, it becomes harder to stay present outside of the game. In turn, they rely more on the community within the game.
Now, remember that Fortnite places a huge pressure on every teammate to uphold their end of the bargain in “Squads”. This can mean a great deal of time playing solo to improve skills, even if you joined Fortnite to enjoy the company of others!
Many of the greatest applications – Facebook, Instagram, Gmail, etc. – are digital operant conditioning chambers: they use flashy icons, fun user interfaces, and periodic rewards, to give you flares of the pleasure hormone dopamine. Basically, they’re designed to be addictive.
Fortnite is all about fun and flashy and takes these traits to the max: everything from the sound and icons for winning a Victory Royale to the numbers which appear when you deal damage to enemies creates a mental “reward”, pushing you to keep going.
4. Endless Gameplay
Fortnite never ends. With 100 players on a huge map filled with various weapons and items, no game ever has or ever will be exactly the same. Not only that, but building makes the combat possibilities nearly infinite! Unlike many other mobile games – angry birds, for example – there are no levels, no way to beat or finish the game. Winning only encourages you to play again.
5. Ubiquity
Last but not least, one of the main issues with tech addiction is the fact that you can’t escape. Online, at school, even in the office, there’s bound to be someone talking about Fortnite. How do you control an addiction when, in some ways, it’s always there?
What to do
If Fortnite’s interfering with your ability to think about other things and concentrate outside of the game, there are a few techniques that can help.
1. Take a break
Schedule some time. Walk away from the computer, console, and phoneso you can refresh your mind. Start small if needed, and then extend the amount of time as needed. Or, if it works for you, have many small breaks in between; it’s possible to set up the downtime however you wish!
Partially, this helps clear your mind from a driven state focused on productivity, allowing you to ask: why am I getting online? Consciously decide why you’re getting on your device, and shut down when your time is up or you’ve finished the action.
2. Set a time to play
Some people like to think of the human mind as having two parts: one that seeks pleasure, and another that follows discipline. It can be easier to hold off the pleasure-seeking side if you plan ahead to allow yourself free time later. Schedule much-needed downtime so you can fully be present during the middle of the day, at the very least!
3. Get involved
Don’t let the Epic Games community be your only community. There are always other options! At the very least, remember: if you realize you’re susceptible to addiction, it may be hard to build that first measure of determination needed to break free. If that’s the case, you’ll want others there to help!
In Conclusion
Fortnite tech addiction occurs whenever you don’t feel in control of your time or your thoughts, when thoughts of winning another Victory Royale bar you from being present in everyday situations. While the game itself isn’t bad, this mental overload certainly is! To improve the gaming experience, consider taking steps to fight the problem: take breaks, set schedules, or get involved in another community.
Here’s everything we know about Life is Strange 2.
Life is Strange 2
Life is Strange is back. The latest entry in the coming-of-age mystery series has put in strong showings at E3, Gamescom, and PAX West.
Based on everything that’s been revealed so far, it looks to be a big improvement on everything fans have come to love about the series. Get a taste of the game below with the first 20 minutes of gameplay, then read on for everything we know so far about Life is Strange 2.
New Characters
Previous games in the series focused on high school students Max Caulfield and Chloe Price and the mystery surrounding star student Rachel Amber’s mysterious disappearance. The twist was that Max had the supernatural ability to turn back time, which led to some mind-bending time travel moments as the two girls worked to unravel the mystery.
This is the first game in the series to depart from the two characters, instead focusing on Sean and Daniel Diaz. Players will be controlling Sean, a 16-year-old living in Seattle with his dad and younger brother Daniel. In the video above, we see Sean dealing with typical teenage problems: talking to his crush, asking Dad for spending cash, and messing with his brother. His problems are about to get a lot bigger, though.
An unfortunate incident with a cop ends with the cop dead and the two brothers on the run across the United States, heading for their father’s hometown in Mexico. Here’s the mysterious part: we don’t know what kind of powers Sean has… or even if they’re Sean’s powers.
From the trailer above, we can assume that it’s some kind of telekinesis ability that sends both the cop and his squad car flying. It’s hard to tell, though, if it’s Sean that sends out the telekinetic blast or Daniel. If it’s Daniel, it would certainly fit with the theme of the game, which DONTNOD has stated will be focusing on Sean and the protective foster-father figure he has to become for Daniel.
Improved Story
Unlike the past two games, which focused on the singular fictional town of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, this game is structured like a road movie, following the brothers on their journey down the West Coast. The development team has cited both “Into the Wild” and “Of Mice and Men” as inspirations. Like previous games, the story will be episodic, with each episode focusing on a particular location on the brother’s journey. The first episode, “Seattle,” will focus on Sean and Daniel’s day-to-day life in that city and the incident that sets them on their journey.
One of the most criticized elements of the first game was the dialogue, which was littered with cringe-inducing outdated slang and forced meme references that sounded more like an adult trying to be hip than the actual way that teens talk to each other. This was greatly improved in Life is Strange: Before the Storm, and has continued to be improved for Life is Strange 2. The dialogue here is natural and the characters are distinct and feel developed, making the heartbreaking moments hit that much harder.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain SpiritDOWNLOAD NOW
The story of this game is also going to tie into the story of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit. Captain Spirit was a free game released back in June to serve as a sort of teaser trailer for Life is Strange 2, showcasing the improved graphics, gameplay, and dialogue. The game followed Chris, a young boy with a troubled father, as he adopts his superhero alter ego to solve problems around the house. Eventually, Chris discovers his imaginary powers are all too real. DONTNOD has confirmed that Chris will be making an appearance in LiS2, which begs the question: will Max and Chloe be making an appearance too?
Streamlined Gameplay
Gameplay itself has also received an overhaul for the series’ latest entry. Now running on Unreal Engine 4, Life is Strange has received a huge graphical overhaul. Animations are smoother and characters are more detailed; one major criticism of the first entry in the series was that lip movements weren’t well-synced with dialogue, leading to some weird uncanny valley moments. Here, everything flows and movements are much less stilted.
Dialogue trees and object interaction prompts are also more streamlined to make the game environment seem less cluttered. A big part of Life is Strange is exploring and interacting with the incredibly rich and detailed environments. The interaction interface and changes to the dialogue tree allow players to fully explore these environments, easily find hidden details and Easter Eggs, and never get overwhelmed.
As we already know, we’ve yet to see the actual nature of the powers in this game. With Max, a simple button push would allow players to reverse the time stream to a moment of their choosing. How the telekinetic powers in this game will behave is still something of a mystery: whether it’ll players controlling the powers directly, commanding Daniel to use them, or not interacting with the powers at all, as was the case with Chloe in Life is Strange: Before the Storm. It’s a major aspect of the game that has yet to be fully revealed, and it seems that we’ll have to wait until the first episode releases to find out exactly how these powers will fit into the gameplay as a whole.
Like the first two games, Life is Strange 2 seems poised to be a poignant and compelling title, and the improvements that have already been showcased are sure to turn heads. Episode 1 releases today for Microsoft, PS4, and Xbox One.
