Roblox is an online digital game platform that enables people of all ages not only to play games but also to create games of their own. As a matter of fact, all the games available on Roblox are ones made by independent developers. With the variety of games available on Roblox, it’s not hard to imagine why it has about 200 million users. However, despite its colorful world, many parents wonder if Roblox is safe for kids. But is Roblox safe for kids or not?
Many issues concern parents, from children’s transactions on Roblox to the time they spend playing games. In this article, we will explain all the risks of Roblox for children, what solutions Roblox offers parents, and what you can do to maximize safety when your kids play on Roblox. But first, let’s discuss why Roblox matters.
Why Does Roblox Matter?
According to demandsage, as of 2023, Roblox has “70.2 million daily active users and over 214 million monthly active users.” This ever-growing online game platform offers more than just entertaining children. It stimulates children’s creativity, prepares the ground for socializing online, and perhaps most importantly, teaches them entrepreneurship.
Roblox’s simplified programming language enables younger or less skilled programmers to make video games and make money out of them. More significant projects have the potential to stem from these endeavors. This means that Roblox can be good for kids if the circumstances are right. However, Roblox also comes with certain disadvantages. Roblox comes with safety concerns for parents. Let’s take a look at the safety features of Roblox, as well as how parents can create a safe gaming environment for their children.
What Roblox Security Risks Concern Parents?
Here is the list of the security risks that concern parents about Roblox:
- Chat with Strangers
- Sexual Harassment
- Grooming
- Cyberbullying
- Data Theft
- Inappropriate Content
- In-App Purchases
- Screen Time
Let’s check out the dangers of Roblox in detail.
Chat with Strangers
On Roblox, users can send private messages to each other. Although this feature seems valuable for socializing and team building, it is sometimes abused by some users. Using the in-app chat, sexual predators and harassers may target children. They may send children texts or content inappropriate for their age or try to approach them with evil intentions. Sometimes adults or children use the chat feature to bully their peers. At other times, they deceive each other into giving away personal information. When we took a look at the game, one of our writers asked if other users (who are all probably children) thought the games was safe for children or not. You can see a user’s answer in the screenshot below.
The response is shown as # because it has been filtered by Roblox. The bad news is that that goes to show how users respond to strangers even when a simple question has been asked. The good news is that Roblox was at least effective in censoring the text and keeping the virtual environment of the game as safe as possible.
Inappropriate Content
Not all the games on Roblox are made for all users. There is an age limit for specific games, but children sometimes fake their age to access them. Other than the content of games, users may use vulgar language in public chatrooms. This is the main reason why CommonSenseMedia has rated the game to be appropriate for children above 13 years of age. They described Roblox as having a “chance to design games, but also potential for iffy content.” Of course, the platform can become safer if heavier restrictions are turned on through the settings and parental controls are used which we’ll describe below.
In-App Purchases
As said earlier, Roblox gives developers the opportunity to make money out of the games they create. They usually do so by selling items that users can take for their avatars. These items are generally not expensive, but they can drive children into spending too much money through multiple microtransactions. The in-game currency, Robux, isn’t a necessity for playing the game but the platform certainly makes children want to use it for shiny gimmicks in the game.
Gambling
Gambling with real money wagers or Robux (a game currency in the Roblox world that can be transferred into real money) is not allowed on Roblox. However, some games may promote gambling by inviting users to bet on other users.
Screen Time
Like all successful games, Roblox games have an addictive essence, which means that children cannot help themselves not to play more after a while. Excessive screen time results in mental and physical health issues for children. Sleeping and eating disorders are common among children with high screen time. If children stay up late playing online games, they run the risk of waking up tired the next day. It will, in turn, cause a series of problems such as lack of attention and underachievement at school.
How Can You Make Roblox Safe?
Roblox can be become safer for children when parents use the parental controls and other account restrictions on the platform. These account restrictions include:
- Age Restriction
- Restricted Socializing
- Blocking and Reporting
- Restricted Money Spending
Despite the parental control options that Roblox offers parents, they are not enough to guarantee children’s safety completely. Instructing your child to report to you whenever they receive suspicious messages or inappropriate content is best to maximize their safety. You must forbid them to reply to messages from strangers or play games that are not suitable for their age. Also, moderate their expenditure on Roblox if you allow them to purchase in-app items. The most important setting in the parental controls of Roblox is that you can put a PIN in place that only you know and is needed every time a setting has to be changed. For this you also have to have a verified email connected to the Roblox account.
Age Restriction
When you run Roblox for the first time, it asks for age verification. If you are installing Roblox for your kid, it is essential to ensure you enter the correct age. Roblox filters some of the features and games on this platform for children below the age of 13. You can later modify the age in the app settings. The age settings are +17, +13, +9, and available for all ages. The +17 age rating doesn’t really make any sense from a parental control perspective but if you doubt that teenagers above 17 years of age will be playing Roblox, you’re unfortunately in the wrong. According to a CommonSenseMedia article, there are online daters (ODers) who play online games such as Roblox for the sole purpose of dating. Though they may not even be looking for children under age, this is all the more reason for your child’s chat setting to be restricted to Friends only or no one at all.
Restricted Socializing
Roblox in-app chat is a popular feature of this program. Children mostly use it to talk about the games they’re playing and making teams. However, if you don’t find this feature safe, you can turn it off or limit it to friends in the app’s settings.
Blocking and Reporting
Roblox has a large monitoring team doing its best to spot and remove any inappropriate content on Roblox. Still, sometimes the users need to cooperate with them. Teach your child to report any inappropriate content they see on the platform and block/report users who they find intrusive.
Restricted Money Spending
It is possible to play games on Roblox without paying any money. However, some children prefer to buy items that make this app more ‘fun’. If you don’t want your child to use this feature, you can turn it off or limit the amount they can spend in the settings.
How Can You Monitor Children’s Roblox Screen Time?
Roblox doesn’t offer any features to control children’s screen time playing games on this platform. However, using a parental control app like Safes, you can manage your child’s screen time on Roblox and social media.
How Can Safes Help You?
Safes parental control app offers parents numerous tools to maximize their children’s health and safety using any app, including Roblox. With Safes, you can control how your child uses Roblox right from your own phone. You can:
- Block Roblox
- Set a screen time limit for Roblox
- Make a screen time schedule for Roblox
- Get Roblox screen time reports
Join us in creating a safer digital world for your child! Kickstart your digital parenting journey with Safes’ free trial. Sign up today to explore advanced parental control features that extend across all digital aspects. Get started now to protect your loved ones in the digital world!
Conclusion
Roblox is a unique online game platform that entertains children and stimulates their creativity. However, careless or abusive users cause safety risks for children. By explaining the dangers of using Roblox to your child and asking them to report to you anytime they receive suspicious messages or see inappropriate content, you can make Roblox a much safer place. Thankfully, Roblox’s parental controls help parents a lot in this matter. All in all, Roblox is not bad for kids, especially if the necessary precautions are taken.
You can use the Safes parental control app to help your child avoid overusing Roblox. With Safes, you can define a screen time limit for Roblox and a bedtime period. This means that your child won’t stay up playing games after bedtime and will be safe online. Safes is available on iOS and Android, as well as other platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled a list of questions and answers to help provide more information on the topic we discussed. If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be happy to help!
Is there an age limit for using Roblox?
Children above four years of age can play games on Roblox. However, some games are restricted to children below 13. Adults may also play games on Roblox.
What security risks threaten children on Roblox?
Some users take advantage of the in-app chatting feature on Roblox to deceive children into disclosing private data. Some others target children for grooming, cyberbullying, or sexual harassment. Despite Roblox’s monitoring, violent and sexually explicit content may be found in some games or public chatrooms. In-app purchases and gambling are other issues that concern parents.
