It can be difficult to find games that are safe for kids, and even more so to find safe games that will help players build real-world skills. Your child may have asked about the latest global sensation in gaming, Roblox.
Online gaming and children don't always mix well. Reading about the 100 million-plus monthly player base on Roblox may have parents asking themselves whether or not Roblox is safe for their children to play. Let's dive in and see how safe Roblox is for kids and what benefits it has for younger players.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is a free-to-download gaming platform that enables its users to create games and unique worlds using the relatively friendly developing tools built onto the platform. Roblox users have turned the gaming platform into a sensation. All of the in-engine video games on Roblox are user-generated, meaning the worlds and games a player enters were created by another player. Having such a wide range of game types on the platform makes finding games you deem appropriate for your child more challenging.
After downloading the Roblox gaming platform, parents will need to choose a membership level. The basic level is free, however, it is much more limited in what players can do. Paid memberships start at $4.99 per month and give players a daily Robux (in-game currency) allowance which gives players the power to interact with and play user-generated games.
Is Roblox Safe for Kids?
Any time kids are allowed to interact with other online users, it raises some serious red flags. How old are these other players? What personal information is being disclosed? These are all very real concerns for parents. Roblox developers understand this and have built several safety measures into its system to help keep kids safe.
Several safety measures put in place by the platform help filter out inappropriate content in a wide variety of ways. The platform also helps remove requests for real-life information from other Roblox users in its party chat app. Here are a few of the safety features included with Roblox:
- All chat taking place within Roblox is filtered. The system detects inappropriate language and detects and blocks personal information from being shared.
- There is also an age-based filtering system that allows or restricts more words based on the user's age in both private and public chat channels.
- In-game account restrictions allow account owners to limit or block who is allowed to chat with the profile via the settings.
- Appropriate avatar detection: Roblox scans the avatars and characters players create to ensure there is no inappropriate content displayed.
Does Roblox Have Parental Controls?
In addition to some of the automatic protections put in place by Roblox developers, there are additional parental controls. These give account owners even more control over how their kids experience and play games on Roblox. More robust parental controls allow parents to ensure their children have a safe and fun experience while playing Roblox. Here are a few of the security features available to parents:
- Specific user blocking: Parents have the power to block specific users from interacting with their children. Doing so is an effective way to prevent griefers and spammers from bothering their children
- Player reporting: If another player is trying to use workarounds to Roblox's content filters or otherwise violating rules, parents can report them to have their account and actions reviewed.
- Account history: Parents/account holders have access to their children's chat history, games played, direct messages, friends, followers, trade history, and just about any other actions players can take while playing user-generated video games on Roblox.
- Disable chat features: For more control of young players' in-game actions and risk, parents can disable chat entirely to prevent them from sending or receiving chats and messages from other players. Disabling chat is great for parents of young players looking to create a very safe experience.
- Pins and two-step verification: Account settings can be locked behind a four-digit pin code that must be entered to make changes. Two-step verification is also available to prevent logins to an account from other devices without an account holder's knowledge.
How to Make Roblox Safe for Your Child
In general, Roblox has a robust set of safety features helping make this popular gaming platform safer for kids. The game offers several benefits to children of several age groups. Roblox doesn't specify a minimum age, as long as players are supervised. However, Common Sense Media has rated the game as OK for ages 13 + as the game remains an open target for "people with less-than-good intentions." However, Roblox creates a sandbox for curiosity as well as developing design and building skills.
Making Roblox a safe game for your kid is as easy as staying involved in how they interact with the platform. Be sure to keep an eye on which games they're playing through the account history. Don't forget to enable the right filters and restrictions based on your child's age. These are good practices for any child and any online gaming environment.
Best Roblox Games for Kids
Make Roblox even safer by helping your child find games that are right for them. Here are a few popular games on Roblox that are safe for kids:
- Roblox Studio: This is actually not a game. It's the development kit that allows users to create their own games. Roblox Studio is an incredible tool that can help teens and other older children learn the basics of coding and game development. As a drag-and-drop development kit, kids as young as eight have learned to create their own games and upload them to the platform.
- Theme Park Tycoon 2: Challenge yourself to create the best theme park around. A theme that's not unfamiliar, players in this game are tasked with creating a winning formula for a theme park. It has both solo and multiplayer modes.
- Adopt Me: There's something satisfying about the fun world of Adopt Me, which challenges players to adopt all kinds of unique pets, then create fun and inspired homes for them.
- Welcome to Bloxburg: Give kids the freedom to live and work in a crafted world. Players must find jobs, gather resources, and complete basic quests to advance in the game and build the perfect home. If your kids loved Animal Crossing New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch, they may equally love Welcome to Bloxburg.
In conclusion, Roblox is a safe space for kids, provided the right tools and restrictions are in place. Children who fall in love with the development tools may have a bright future in STEM careers.
