Roblox provides information on its website about how to limit chat functions and report problems. There are also things parents can do at home to create a safe online play environment. Broader changes are afoot too, with children’s rights online now officially recognised by the United Nations. Roblox also has been assessed as complying with the US Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act regulations regarding privacy and collection of data. Roblox has also employed a “ Director of Digital Civility” and partnered with university researchers to work out how best to make the platform a safe space for children to play. It has joined the Australian eSafety Commissioner’s Tier 1 social media scheme, meaning the commission can more promptly remove reported content. However, Roblox has been proactive in addressing safety issues. And as in all online spaces, cyberbullying is also a risk. There are also contact risks: adults can “friend” children in-game and then message them privately or on third-party apps such as Discord. There have been reports of sexually explicit games, and games with themes that parents might not want children exposed to.Ĭurious Kids: Why do adults think video games are bad? However, the openness and interactivity that has made Roblox so successful means that there is a chance your child could encounter troubling content. With its relatively simple code editor, even kids as young as eight or nine can learn how to develop their own games, with numerous courses available for kids, parents and teachers. So, if you have an eight-year-old at home badgering you about joining their friends online in Roblox, what do you need to know?įor children interested in programming, Roblox can be a great way to get started. This is great for Roblox, which benefits from what games scholar Julian Kucklich calls the “ precarious playbour” of the creators. While most games can quickly go in and out of fashion, Roblox’s community of developers will keep pumping out fresh content. Roblox’s optimistic market valuation is based on the sheer number of creators developing on its platform: as many as 20 million a year. According to Roblox, there were more than 300 creators who earned over US$100,000 in 2020.

Some creators earn as much as US$50,000 per month. Last year, rapper Lil Nas X used the Roblox platform to host a virtual concert which attracted more than 30 million visitors.

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