Is Roblox Safe For Kids? Its Effects And Ways To Manage

Despite safety risks, this platform may be beneficial if kids are supervised while using it.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Dur Afshar Agha, MS Dr. Dur Afshar Agha Dr. Dur Afshar AghaMS facebook_iconinsta_icon Specialty: Masters of Tropical PediatricsExperience: 26 years
Written by Harshita Makvana Experience: 7 years
Last Updated on
Is Roblox Safe For Kids? Safety Measures And Precautions

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Roblox is a video game platform that has recently gained popularity. But is Roblox safe for kids?

Mobile phone usage has increased drastically among children in recent years, leading to growing concerns among parents. And while the internet provides an ocean of knowledge, it may be harmful at times (1). In addition, the use of online platforms may mislead children; hence, parents must keep an eye on their children while they engage in online activities.

Read on to learn whether Roblox is safe for your kids, the risks associated with it, and the safety measures to follow.

What Is Roblox?

Roblox is a trending online video game platform that allows one to create their own games and share them with other users. It also allows one to play games created by other users and interact with each other on the platform.

Although it is a free-gaming platform, it also features a virtual in-game currency called Robux, which can be bought with real money (2). You could also receive a fixed monthly quota of Robux by getting a Premium membership.

Robux can be used to purchase new clothes, accessories, gear, and in-game content and gain access to user-created games for a more immersive experience.

The online gaming platform boasts more than 150 million active monthly users as of 2020 (2). Children who are above 13 years and have a Premium membership can make money by charging for access to the games they create, selling rare game items, and exchanging their Robux with real money from the company (3).

Is Roblox Safe For Kids?

The free multiplayer and open communication platform can cause distress to some parents, as the user-generated format can expose children to predatory behavior, sexually explicit user forums, inappropriate advertisements, and site pop-ups (3). Advertisements and other gamers cajoling your child to buy certain items using Robux can be annoying too.

Careful monitoring of these red alerts, apt changes in privacy settings, and other safety measures can make the use of Roblox safe for children. Helping kids understand how to play safely is the key. After all, as parents, we are decision makers, and therefore, we need to choose what is suitable for our children wisely.

What Age Groups Can Play Roblox?

No age restrictions exist for creating an account on Roblox. Anyone, irrespective of their age, can play, create, and chat with other users. Roblox prudently monitors the content shared on its platform and filters the chats of children below 13 years (4).

What Are The Risks Associated With Roblox?

Parents need to take the necessary precautions to eliminate the risks related to Roblox for children. Some of the common risks associated with this leading game include the following.

  • Third-party chat apps not affiliated with Roblox could ask young children to send personal pictures or send sexual content to children.
  • Predators can initiate chats and ask children to move to another app or site and share personal stuff.
  • Condo games may expose children to inappropriate content, such as graphic images and obscene language.

How Can Parents Manage The Risks Associated With Roblox?

Parents can take a few steps to control and check the activities of children to ensure their safety (5) (6) (7).

  1. Add parental controls to make Roblox safe for your child by checking out Roblox’s official website for all the guidance.
  2. Provide the correct age of your child while creating their account.
  3. Create a separate parental login to monitor your child’s interactions.
  4. Limit the number and types of games they can play.
  5. Limit or disable who can chat with them, send them messages, follow them in the games, or invite them to play.
  6. View their game and chat histories from related sections.
  7. Complete a two-step verification, which allows you to receive a code via email whenever your child logs in from a new device.
  8. You could also set a four-digit PIN to lock the account settings.

Other Safety Measures To Apply

Parents can take the following standard measures while allowing young children to use Roblox or any similar platform.

  1. Remind children about who they can chat with and how not to indulge in any interactions with strangers.
  2. Warn them to never accept private messages or requests from unknown accounts and people.
  3. Warn them to never give away personal information to anyone.
  4. Warn them to never move to a different platform if asked by any stranger or unknown online friend.
  5. Make children play online games in an open family area, such as the living room.
  6. Never allow children to play multi-user games behind closed doors.
  7. Always supervise your children’s online activities and actions.
  8. Prevent children from making changes to account settings by setting PIN codes to their accounts.
  9. Maintain a healthy and open conversation to ensure that your child discusses anything and everything with you.
  10. Check periodically what your children are doing on the platform to identify any potential threat.
  11. Teach them about online safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is Roblox so popular with kids?

The easy-to-use tools of Roblox allow children to indulge in different building games where they can set goals and create things and environments according to their creativity and imagination. Furthermore, it enables players to play mini-games within a game, which keeps children hooked. Its easy access through a laptop, tablet, or smartphone makes it even more attractive to children.

2. Is Roblox voice chat safe?

The company claims that “all chat on Roblox is filtered to prevent inappropriate content and personally identifiable information from being visible on the site. Players have different safety settings and experiences based on their age.” Players can use privacy settings to enable/disable chatting as and when needed. The company provides voice chat features to all its users above 13 years after successful age verification. Regardless, parents should monitor their children’s activity on Roblox to ensure their safety.

When used responsibly, Roblox is a safe gaming platform for children. To ensure your child’s safety, have an open conversation with them and share the risks associated with Roblox. Add parental controls and create a separate log-in account to monitor your child’s interaction on the gaming platform. Observing additional safety measures, such as reminding children not to indulge in interaction with strangers and share their personal information, are some ways to use Roblox safely. Remember, children need continuous parental support and guidance to overcome the potential threats of online gaming platforms.

Infographic: Gaming Platforms Similar To Roblox

Several gaming platforms offer features similar to Roblox. Some are even considered to be more child-safe compared to Roblox. Save and share this infographic that presents a list of interactive online games that provide a similar gaming experience to Roblox, or at times, better.

roblox like gaming platforms [infographic]
Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

Key Pointers

  • Roblox is an online platform for playing video games and sharing them with others.
  • Children’s exposure to inappropriate content and site pop-ups can be harmful.
  • Adding parental controls, limiting their game time, and occasionally supervising them can help manage the possible risks.

References

1. Technology Can be Blessing, Curse to Students; UCF Today
2. Keeping Kids Safe on Roblox; ConnectSafely
3. Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Roblox; Common Sense Media
4. What Parents Need to Know About Roblox; Family Online Safety Institute
5. Safety Features: Chat, Privacy & Filtering; Roblox
6. Changing Privacy and Chat Settings; Roblox
7. Account Restrictions; Roblox
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Dr. Dur Afshar Agha
Dr. Dur Afshar AghaMS
Dr. Dur Afshar Agha is a consultant pediatrician with around 26 years of experience in various medical facilities both in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. She has headed the Department of Preventive Pediatrics at the prestigious, Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health in Pakistan and is a life member of the Pakistan Paediatric Association.

Read full bio of Dr. Dur Afshar Agha
Harshita Makvana
Harshita Makvana
Harshita is a graduate in commerce and holds a PG Diploma in Patent and Copyrights Law from NALSAR University. She has also pursued CA and has more than three years of internship experience in auditing. Her love for travelling has taken her to various parts of the world, and writing the travelogues was what brought out her love for content writing.

Read full bio of Harshita Makvana
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