It's Time to Rethink Roblox.
When I ask middle school students how many of them play Roblox, nearly every hand goes up. With grades 3-5, it's about 75%.
Last week, my team and I did a Roblox deep dive ourselves. What we found within minutes was shocking:
Unmoderated user-created content
Endless microtransaction prompts and in-game scams
Inappropriate words and slurs punished with online five-minute bans
Predatory environment when players' ages are unknown and voice changers are common
Role-playing in inappropriate environments like bedrooms and bathrooms
Cyberbullying between players
Almost constant interaction with strangers
Many parents think Roblox is just one game, but it's actually more than 6 million unique experiences. Anyone can build them, which means your child is stepping into a space designed by a stranger with no idea of the content or community that awaits them.
Does Roblox have parental controls? Sort of.
Parents can adjust maturity levels, communication, and screen time, but kids can switch settings back at any time. Only by creating your own Roblox account can you access parental controls such as content filters, restricted communication, spending limits, and blocked experiences.
Best Practices for Keeping Kids Safe on Roblox
Big Picture
Keep gaming devices in common areas, not bedrooms
Have open communication about video games
Set screen time limits
Remind them not to share personal information
Talk to them about scams and dangerous people
Roblox-Specific
Create a parent account and set parental controls
Monitor direct messages through the Connections Panel in the Roblox player app
Avoid linking a credit card and limit access to Robux
Set correct age restrictions
Encourage the use of private servers
Play Roblox with your child to see what they experience
If, after reading this email, you decide not to allow your child to play Roblox, which I recommend after what I've seen, you might use language like this:
We didn't know what Roblox really was before. Now we do, and we're making a different choice for our family. Our job is to keep you safe. You didn't do anything wrong, but we want to protect you from scams, strangers, and seeing things you're not ready for. We will find other games that are safe and fun.
In our online safety presentations, we cover video games, social media, and AI. Every presentation is age-appropriate and tailored to the audience.
