Is Roblox safe for kids? How to keep them safe while playing
Roblox is an immersive virtual space that allows individuals of any age to play games, create, communicate and earn. Its engaging and interactive nature makes it the most popular gaming platform. However, its popularity with individuals of all ages begs the question: Is Roblox safe for kids?
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Roblox was created in 2004 by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel. Its creation as a source of internet entertainment assures all gamers of virtual fun with various games and experiences. Therefore, this guide is essential for curious parents who want to know if Roblox is safe for kids to play.
Is Roblox safe for kids?
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a regulatory organisation that provides video game ratings by age and content, assigns the game a rating of T (Teen). However, Roblox's company information notes that it is free to play and safe for children as young as four years old.
Roblox is free to play and safe for kids aged 4+
This disparity requires parents to set up controls and actively interact with their children's activities on the platform.
The mobile app's irresistible features, such as free games, creative tools and freedom, and multiplayer experiences, make it a magnet for children.
Is Roblox a kids' game?
According to Internet Matters, children can safely use the platform with supervision. The ESRB also informs parents that kids can have fun on the platform playing and learning the basics of coding, game design, and entrepreneurship.
Access to constantly emerging popular games makes Roblox appealing to curious, growing children. Children and adults alike are attracted to the platform's innovative products, which include personalised avatars, animations, cross-platform and device play, badges, rewards, and collectables, among others.
To answer a popular question among parents, "Is Roblox good for your brain?" It is best to understand one of the platform's core features, Roblox Studio.
The creator hub allows users over 13 years of age to design and create games. This builds a child's creativity, imagination, and ability to express themselves.
Up-and-coming developers can access creator tools, resources, tutorials, and challenges free of charge. Through this product, the platform builds young teens' problem-solving, collaboration, coding, and STEM skills.
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Should I allow my child to play Roblox?
This decision solely rests with individual parents. As a parent, it is best to weigh the advantages and risks of an online platform.
Several potential risks exist for impressionable young children, ranging from inappropriate user-generated content to privacy concerns and unregulated social interaction. Despite this, parents can work with Roblox to ensure their children's safety by setting up parental controls.
An October 2024 report by Hindenburg Research found that the platform grossly misinformed Roblox users about its content moderation. According to the report, children engaging with experiences labelled as 'Ages 9+' are exposed to predatory, violent and illicit content.
Chatrooms on the platform accessible by users of any age were shown to trade in illicit and adult content. The report highlighted the dangers facing children on the platform, as paedophiles used Roblox's social interaction tools to target children.
How do I make Roblox safe for my child?
The million-dollar question on parents' minds is how to ensure Roblox safety for kids while allowing them to enjoy the platform. Here are steps you can follow to set up a linked parent account and parental controls:
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- Open the Roblox app on your child’s device.
- Go to Settings and scroll to Parental Controls.
- Select Add Parent and enter your email address on the screen.
- From the email in your inbox, follow the steps to either create an account or sign in.
- Verify your age to link to your child’s account using a government-issued ID or a credit card.
- To set up content access, go to Settings You Manage.
- Scroll down and select Content Maturity.
- You can adjust the slider bar to the right or left to select the content maturity level.
- To set up limits on communication, go to Settings You Manage.
- Go to 'Communication' and scroll to Experience Chat.
- Select values for each setting to determine who can message and text chat with your child.
- Choose between Everyone or No One on experience chat and experience direct chat.
- Go back to Settings You Manage to limit who can play an experience with them.
- Go to Private Servers.
- Choose between Friends or Off.
- To review who they interact with as friends, go to Friends on your parent dashboard.
- Your child’s friends will be displayed as usernames alongside their avatars, which you can click on an avatar to view their profile.
- To set up screen time controls, go back to Parental Controls.
- Click Manage next to the chart at the top of the screen, which shows a seven-day average for screen time.
- You can update the existing screen time limit to a new value.
These controls allow you, as a parent, to limit your child's spending on Roblox games. Remember to choose if you want to be notified about every transaction your child makes on the app.
Is Roblox okay for a 7-year-old?
Experiences on the platform are tagged with these age labels for all ages, including seven. Other labels are Ages 9+ or Ages 13+.
Because Roblox's content is user-generated, the company provides experience guidelines advising its appropriateness for different age groups. These guidelines are also included in the platform's parental control settings, allowing a parent to deny access to mature content for young children.
The question of whether Roblox is safe for kids is a never-ending debate, and the answer depends on the level of parental involvement. Proper controls, monitoring, and open communication can help mitigate potential risks while allowing children to enjoy the platform responsibly.
Legit.ng recently published an article highlighting games like Roblox, an online gaming platform that allows users to play and create games. The platform is popular among users of all ages, attracting millions of daily active users.
Besides it, other similar gaming platforms assure users of continued excitement. Read on for an extensive list and description of games to break the monotony.
Source: Legit.ng
