The Angle · Victoria Morning Wire

Is Fortnite making Victoria's kids less happy?

Your kid plays Fortnite. What about their happiness in Victoria?

Good morning from the island — we're still here, the orcas were spotted at Active Pass, and honestly, life is fine.

So, this new Fortnite Chapter 7 release is a big deal, I hear. Dwayne Johnson and Bugs Bunny in the same digital space, apparently. It's got everyone, well, *some* people, very excited. But here's the thing: while the mainland is fretting over Fortnite downtimes and chapter updates, a new report just came out saying Canada has slipped to 25th in world happiness rankings, with a strong link to young people's social media use. And it makes you wonder, doesn't it? Is all this virtual escapism actually making us, or more specifically, our young people here in Victoria, any happier? You see them, don't you, glued to their devices even in Beacon Hill Park, sometimes missing the deer practically sharing their picnic blanket.

We value a slower pace here in Victoria, a certain post-urgency, if you will. We're more about the quiet satisfaction of a walk along Dallas Road, or browsing the antique shops on Fort Street, or even just watching the float planes land in the Inner Harbour. It's not quaint, it's deliberate. And while Fortnite Chapter 7 might offer a temporary thrill, I can't help but think about the real, tangible joy of exploring the tide pools at Clover Point or getting lost in a good book from an Oak Bay bookstore. Maybe less screen time, and more actual island time, is what we need to climb back up that happiness ladder. What do you think?

Agnes Szymanski, MiTL Sports Desk, Victoria.

You should hear what Keith and the gang are saying about this — catch them live at mornings.live.

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