Is there a parent in the world who hasn’t heard of Roblox?
The gaming platform has upward of 80 million daily users and has solidified itself as a firm kid favorite. The simple and colorful graphics, addictive gameplay, and limitless creative possibilities add up to make Roblox a huge hit with children everywhere.
According to our latest Annual Data Report, 1 in every 2 kids use Roblox (making it the most popular app overall) and spend an average of 2 hours 10 minutes daily playing and creating games on the platform.
Although Roblox has good points, there are safety issues that parents need to be aware of. We’ve shared some of the big ones along with 7 tips for keeping your child safe while they have fun in the Roblox universe.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is an online gaming platform and app that allows users to play and create games, or experiences as they’re referred to on the platform. Users can choose to play open-world games created by others or create their own using the building tool, Roblox Studio. Although Roblox itself and some games are free, many are pay-to-play or encourage users to make in-game purchases with Robux, the game’s own virtual currency.
Each Roblox user is represented by an avatar – a character that can be customized with free and purchasable body parts, accessories, clothing, and much more.
It might seem like Roblox is a recent addition to the digital world, but it’s been around for quite a while. The first incarnation of Roblox was released in 2006, making it older than the iPhone and an antique in technological terms. The platform had a relatively small following for years until its popularity exploded in the late 2010s and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. While their parents were Zooming, kids were whiling away lockdowns around the world by playing, creating, and chatting to their friends on Roblox.
Why do kids like Roblox?
“Like” might be an understatement. Obsessed may be more accurate.
The pandemic drew a lot of kids to Roblox as the games entertained and allowed them to socialize with their friends when real-life interactions were impossible. Parents would connect with other parents to arrange gaming sessions for their little ones, relieved knowing their kids could keep up their social connections during a difficult time.
Along with the cute Lego-like characters and colorful worlds, there are several possible reasons Roblox has become such a hit among kids.
- It’s very social. Games can be places for your child to hang out and chat with their friends.
- Kids can enjoy open-ended play. As a “sandbox game”, Roblox allows the player to explore the game environment freely – without being constrained to achieving specific objectives.
- It’s a creative outlet. Kids love being able to customize their avatars, build houses, and even create games on Roblox.
- It has Adopt Me! This multi-player game within the Roblox universe is hugely popular with kids as they spend hours adopting, trading, raising, and caring for virtual pets – from cats and dogs to dragons and unicorns.
- It’s just fun. Some games require teamwork and creative thinking, whereas others lie on the “silly fun” end of the spectrum. Either way, Roblox is a super-engaging and creative outlet for kids.
What’s the age rating for Roblox?
Generally speaking, Roblox doesn’t have a minimum age for its users. Each experience has a recommended age guideline and whether it is suitable for All Ages, 9+, 13+, and 17+. For under 13s, a parent needs to consent and safety restrictions are applied by default.
Over 13s have to verify their age in order to use “Trusted connections”, which is less restricted chat between friends and other users – they can verify via an age-estimation video selfie or government-issued ID. Unverified users over 13 (and younger children who fake their age) are still able to play games rated 13+ and use filtered text chat.
Without an official age rating or verification requirements, there’s nothing stopping children of any age from playing games, joining groups, and chatting with others online.
Does Roblox have parental controls?
Yes, Roblox has parental controls to help manage and protect a child’s experience on the platform. To set these up, you’ll need to create a Roblox account with parent privileges and link it to your child’s account. Roblox automatically applies stricter default controls for under 13s, which a parent can lock and manage from their linked account.
A linked account allows you to:
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- Select a content maturity level that you are comfortable with your child being exposed to.
- Block individual experiences, regardless of their content maturity level.
- Decide who can chat to your child.
- Set screen time limits.
- Limit who can join your child’s private servers, and whose servers they can join.
- View, block and report your child’s connections.
- Set monthly spending limits so your child doesn’t blow the family savings on Robux.
While Roblox’s parental controls are strong, they are not foolproof. If a parent does not link their account, kids can change safety settings or enter a fake birthday to bypass restrictions.
Is Roblox safe for kids?
With over half of all 7-9-year-olds playing, it’s not surprising that parents of young children are concerned about the safety aspects of Roblox – and they should be.
After spending time on Roblox and speaking to other parents about their kids’ experiences on the platform, here are the main safety concerns we think you should be aware of.
Potential for dangerous interactions
Like with most multi-player gaming platforms, Roblox users can send messages and chat to others in-game as well as on the Roblox app or website.
So without taking safety measures, your child could connect with sexual predators, cyberbullies, sextortionists, and other dangerous users.
Roblox does have features to protect kids from problem interactions on the platform:
- Text filters automatically block swear words, personally-identifiable information (like an address or phone number), words associated with bullying and harassment, and any unrecognized text.
- Chat is monitored by humans to spot attempts to lure a user to another chat platform.
- A parent can set up further restrictions on chat through their linked account.
Despite these measures, people with bad intentions can still find ways to get into kids’ chats – and there have been some devastating stories about the consequences.
“Condos” and inappropriate content
One of Roblox’s main appeals is the freedom a user has to create games, avatar clothing, and more – but on the flip side, this means young players can encounter things a parent wouldn’t want them to.
Despite Roblox having rules and making efforts to moderate user-generated content, plenty slips through the cracks. Examples include games featuring simulated sex acts, graphic violence, and bad language.
The worst of this takes place in “condos” – basically sex-based games that blatantly violate Roblox’s terms of service. Condos are where users go to talk about sex and to simulate sex via their avatars. According to the BBC, “much of what is written on chats in condos is unprintable on a grown-up news website, let alone a children’s game.”
Condos are usually only discoverable for a short time, often less than an hour, as the Roblox team plays whack-a-mole trying to remove them as new ones appear.
Online dating
Roblox isn’t a dating platform and its rules prohibit chat that’s sexual in nature, but that doesn’t stop ODers (online daters) from using games such as Brookhaven or Royale High to find romantic partners.
While most ODers are just looking to connect with other ODers, knowing that adults are using Roblox for this purpose is a red flag for any parent.
In-app purchases
Roblox is free to download and use. The platform makes its money by selling Robux which users can spend on games, clothing and accessories for their avatars, and more.
Some kids have become big spenders on the platform – without their parents knowing. There are stories from all over the world of parents discovering monster credit card bills thanks to their Roblox-loving kids.
Scams
Scams are rife in most corners of the internet and Roblox is no exception. On Roblox, scammers often exploit the naivety of children to con them out of Robux or gain access to their accounts and personal information.
There are several sophisticated scams to be aware of, including “free Robux”. This is when a user is promised Robux in exchange for completing surveys, clicking on links, or sharing personal information. Players give away sensitive information or access to their accounts for Robux that never materialize.
Trading scams are also common. For example, a scammer might offer a high-value item for several lower-value ones, only to swap the item for a worthless one at the last minute.
Gaming addiction
On average, kids spend over 2 hours daily on Roblox – but some are clocking up many more.
Around 2% of children and adolescents are considered to be addicted to gaming – and yes, gaming addiction is a real thing. Health organizations have officially recognized the condition Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) as a pattern of excessive and compulsive gaming behavior that leads to significant impairment or distress.
Roblox’s creativity, challenge, novelty, strong social aspect, and in-game purchases hammer that dopamine release button and keep kids coming back for more.
7 ways to make Roblox safer for your child
Roblox’s popularity isn’t going away any time soon – and despite the potential dangers, the platform offers kids valuable opportunities to play, create, and hang out with their friends.
If your child is a Robloxian, or you’re considering allowing your child to play, here are 7 ways to help make their Roblox experience a safe and happy one.
1. Show an interest
Talk to your child about their favorite games, their avatar, and ask if you can watch them play – or even play yourself. This will give you a better understanding of Roblox and open the doors to conversation.
As well as discovering areas where you might need to tighten safety settings, taking an interest may make your child feel more comfortable talking to you about troubling things they encounter on the platform.
2. Ensure your child’s correct age is entered
Roblox allows access to games appropriate to the user’s age and automatically applies stricter safety settings for users under 13. Age verification is only for 17+ users – in order to access 17+ experiences – so you may have to check that your child’s account has the right date of birth.
3. Create an account with parent privileges and link it to your child’s account
Linking your Roblox account with your child’s lets you manage and lock in their safety and privacy settings, allowing you to manage screen time, control chat and social settings, restrict access to age-rated content, and more. Linking accounts is essential for players under 13 and strongly recommended for those aged 13 to 16.
4. Disable your child’s chat or set to friends-only
Once you’ve linked your account, you can set and lock safety restrictions related to chat, the camera, setting spending limits, and more.
To prevent strangers from interacting with your child, we strongly recommend you limit the people who can contact your child to “friends” or “no one”. This is the default setting for under 13s.
Ensure your child knows how to block users too.
5. Make sure your child knows the dangers of talking to strangers online
You probably remember the “stranger danger” lectures from your childhood, but children today have to be careful online as well as off.
Make sure they know the risks of interacting with strangers online, how to identify a predator, and ways to protect themselves from potential harm.
Child psychologist Dr. Beurkens covers these areas in this useful article: How to talk to your child about online predators.
6. Allow your kids to play in common areas only
When left to use Roblox behind closed doors, your child may be more likely to talk to strangers, play inappropriate games, or attempt to bypass your restrictions.
A good practice is to only allow play in your home’s living room, kitchen, or family room. This will make it easy for you to supervise their playing, see changes in their behavior, and be able to step in immediately if something worrying happens.
7. Use external parental controls
Roblox’s account settings can be effective in protecting your child from some of the dangers on the platform, such as interacting with strangers and accessing inappropriate content.
But for most parents, this won’t be enough. For example, Roblox’s parental controls don’t allow you to control your child’s screen time or block the app from being opened.
Perhaps the biggest drawback of relying on Roblox’s parental controls is that they require your child’s cooperation to set up and you have to trust they won’t just create a new account without you knowing.
In conjunction with Roblox’s controls, a universal parental control tool like Qustodio can help your child enjoy a safe experience on the platform.
With Qustodio you can:
- Monitor the time they spend playing Roblox
- Set time limits to help prevent gaming addiction
- Block the Roblox app from being opened
- Receive an alert when they first use Roblox
- Pause the internet at the push of a button.
Is Roblox safe for kids? Qustodio’s final recommendation
Roblox is a hugely popular gaming platform amongst children of all ages. The platform allows them to play, explore, create, and socialize in an engaging open-world environment. However, its popularity among young users also brings several safety concerns that parents need to be aware of, including the potential for adult-child interactions and exposure to adult content.
With the help of parental controls, supervision, education, and conversation, we can ensure our kids have a fun and safe time on their favorite Roblox games.
