Parents, teachers set Fortnite limits to curb classroom distraction

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - Fortnite is the video game that seems to be taking over the world's attention, a new challenge teachers are preparing for as they head back to school.

Fortnite has taken schools by storm, and some have banned the game. But not in Bakersfield.

High school science teacher Frank Ripepi sees Fortnite as a distraction unlike anything he's ever seen before.

"There's this thing, I call it the 'look down,'" Ripepi described. "It's kind of looking down at their laps like there's something to look at, and it's their phone. Fortnite has increased the 'look down' quite a bit."

The consequence is usually a warning, and after that, a student loses his or her phone for the day.

"I had one kid in particular that he was so addicted he would shake if you took his phone away," Ripepi said.

Parents say they use chores as a bargaining chip for their kids to reduce their time spent on Fortnite. They'll offer extra hours of Fortnite play for every extra chore their kid completes.

Some teachers, including Ripepi, turn classroom lessons into team player games, hoping they can engage students by tapping into the same mindset they put towards gaming.

"This allows these kids that are into Fortnite to kind of use something similar to a game and maybe make their day in the classroom a little less 'Fortnite-y,'" Ripepi said.