Is Roblox safe to play?

Roblox is currently a highly popular gaming platform among children, in fact, Roblox is the most popular game in the world with a monthly active user base of over 350 million. To put that into perspective, that is 5 times more than Fortnite, and 2.5 times more than Minecraft. If your child is allowed to play on Roblox, there are a few things you must know as a parent.

Roblox is not just one game, but millions of games on a platform. Kids (and adults) can choose from a lot of games and play the games that they like. Think of it like Netflix but for gaming. Roblox also allows 'user-generated' content, which means that anyone can create a game and upload it on Roblox for people in any part of the world to play. 

Roblox allows players to chat with each other using the chat feature in the game. This is a great feature for friends, however, even if your child is not actively chatting in the game, they can be exposed to the chats of others. For example, if 100 other people are playing the game while your child is playing, they can chat with each other on the game.

In the recent Screen-Time Survey, we (The WellSpring Private School) conducted, more than 50% of elementary parents responded that their children play Roblox. Several parents expressed a concern for extended screen time and were worried about what content their child might "accidentally" be exposed to online.

If you are unsure whether Roblox is safe for your child, here are two questions to ask yourself:

1. Would you allow your child to privately talk to a stranger, especially when you can’t hear what they are saying?

2. Would you allow your child to see/participate in activities that are inappropriate for their age?

If you answered “No” to those questions, then Watch this video by Family Tech to further understand how a platform like Roblox can tamper with your child's safety and what you can do to control how they play the games on Roblox. The video clearly explains HOW to set up parental controls on Roblox.

As counselors, students often talk to us about Roblox and have mentioned how they “bumped” into a game on Roblox with inappropriate adult content and how their favorite game has been infiltrated with other inappropriate content. Students have also shared that some players pick avatar clothing that reflects inappropriate words and images. These players can easily join a game that is directed at children, exposing young kids to inappropriate content. To be clear, Roblox itself is not bad, we want to make sure you are aware and well-informed as parents to keep your children safe online. 

Screen time also plays a big role here as well. On average, children worldwide spend more than five hours per day staring at a screen. This has a negative impact on their development as a child.  

Here are some screen-free activities you can engage your child in, even this weekend:

Take advantage of the good weather! Run, ride a bike, kick a ball. Or build an obstacle course with household items like rope to balance on, a chair to climb over, etc, and do a sibling challenge.

Make a play station! - No, not the PlayStation attached to the TV, but a physical play station. Have a station at home (it can even be the corner of your kitchen table) where you alternate different indoor activities. You just provide the supplies, they can come and be creative with the activity. For example, one day has markers and paper. Another day, a puzzle. Another day baking soda, vinegar and a jar (for a science experiment), or a handful of toothpicks (and see what they make with it). Don't give too many directions but have a few ground rules- for example, keep the supplies in this area, you work with it responsibly and clean up your mess.

Make a Food station! Have the kids help pick out recipes/ plan for the meal/cook or bake something, or make a family recipe book for Ramadan, where they get recipes from different family members, and make it into a simple family recipe book.

At The WellSpring Private School we have two counsellors that look after our students’ social and emotional well-being. They have a wealth of knowledge and resources to help students, and partner with parents to navigate the emotional well-being of the students in our care. If you have any concerns or questions regarding screen time, Roblox, or anything else, please feel free to contact them via email or on Canvas.

• Secondary counselor - Ms. Sheryl Kuttickal

• Early Childhood and Elementary counselor – Ms. Ilse Stutzman