Roblox: Is It Actually Safe for Your Kids?

What Is Roblox

Roblox is a global platform that allows users to play a variety of games, create them and chat with people online.

Based on Hootsuite’s website, the app has over 52M daily active users and half of them are kids under the age of 13.

Roblox is downloaded in over 500M Android devices and over 380M iOS devices.

There are a lot of game genre inside the app itself, ranging from comedy to horror.

However, parents are noticing that there has been a rise of explicit content being promoted in the app.

On 20 June 2023, Roblox introduced a new age category.

Before this, Roblox only had three age categories, which were ‘All Ages’, ‘9+’ and ’13+’.

Now, people can create and join games that are created under the ’17+’ category.

To access this feature, users have to validate their age by providing their identity documents.

This addition, however, isn’t available on iOS devices. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other risks.

The Dangers of Roblox

This game has been on the market since 2006 and everyone can play it.

As mentioned, there are a lot of game genres in Roblox and that includes horror and violence games.

From the screenshot, you can see that the horror games can be played by everyone, that includes young kids.

The reason users love Roblox is because they have the freedom to create their own games.

With that feature, creators create games based on their own creativity or the latest trend.

That would include the newest Internet sensation parents are worried about, ‘Skibidi Toilet‘.

Another concern parents have with the app is the fact that their kids are playing among adults.

Not only can kids be exposed to potential cyberbullying, they can also be exposed to potential child grooming.

Parental Control for Roblox

Roblox does have parental controls.

Here’s how parents can set it up:

1. Log in to the account.
2. Click the gear icon, and then click Settings.
3. On the right-hand side of the Settings page, click Privacy.
4. From here, you can adjust both Contact Settings and Other Settings.
5. If your child is 12 or younger, you can choose Friends or No one. If your child is 13 or older, there are additional options for interaction with other players.

Here, parents can also disable chat or messaging, restrict access to a curated list of age-appropriate games, and set a monthly limit on how much money, if any, the child can spend on Roblox’s in-game currency.

But dangers may still be lurking.

Back in 2019, a mother shared that her son was groomed and led to a third-party app.

There, the boy, who was not even a teenager yet, shared explicit images to the person.

Similarly, another mother shared that her seven-year-old daughter’s character was sexually assaulted in one of the games.

In each of these cases, the mothers had put on parental controls within the app.

Knowing this, many parents are scared because even with precautions, these cases still happened.

Alternative for Roblox

Many parents are now opting to uninstall the app.

For kids that love this game, it could be devastating.

But there are alternatives your kids may try out, such as Minecraft.

It is also a game that kids love with the free version having over 100M downloads on Android devices.

Players get to build their own world, craft and collect minerals.

Their Safety is Your Priority

As parents, it’s natural for us to be worried.

But if your kids still want to play Roblox, try talking to them about what could potentially happen.

Teach them about online safety, and monitor their time on the device.

You’ve got this, parents!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.

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