If you are a "Fortnite" fanatic who denies that the game is ruining our generation, I'm sorry, but it is.

Developed in 2017 by Epic Games, "Fornite" is an intense battle against zombies that involves building defenses to survive. And, of course, we can't forget the Battle Royale where everyone fights to be the last survivor. This setup sounds like a pretty conventional video game that can attract audiences interested in "shooter games." However, the game has infiltrated American culture so heavily that it has become more than a virtual battle.

It has become an addiction.

It has become a distraction.

It has become a stake in relationships.

Most importantly, it has become a tool for social hierarchy.

It has become so important to be an adept zombie fighter that American parents are now hiring designated "Fortnite tutors" to help their children master the game. Tutors are not limited to math or English or SAT prep anymore. Some families are even willing to pay professional video game players $50 an hour to tutor in Fortnite. 

Why are we earning minimum wage for stressful jobs when we could earn $50 to fight virtual zombies for an hour? "Fortnite" does not provide food for us. "Fortnite" does not provide retail to us. "Fortnite" will not grant us a scholarship to a college nor provide us with skills for jobs in the working adult world (and even the lofty vision of becoming a pro video game player is not all it's cracked up to be). Heck, "Fortnite" keeps us on our couches for more hours than necessary.

After all, these people hiring tutors are rarely looking to actually go professional in video games.

In our day and age, a talent to play "Fortnite" and a victory in the Battle Royale equates to social validation. And we place so much emphasis on social validation that, yes, it is worth $50 an hour to help somebody have such clout. This problem is less about the wild popularity of a video game and more about the emphasis on "popularity" and the petty stepping stones to help somebody rise to that level.

Social acceptance is such an ideal and, for some, such a far-fetched fantasy that when tutors will place a $50 price tag on it, it's a pretty good bargain. Our culture has become much too engrossed not only in this video game but also in its shallow view of what makes somebody "cool." If wearing a certain brand makes you cool, that company is making quite a profit.

And if being good at a video game makes you cool, until society has a less shallow view of popularity, you can make $50 an hour playing video games.