Roblox could be your child first experience with digital socializing
Roblox is a gaming platform where multiple players interact and play together online. The site has a collection of games aimed at 8-18 year olds, however players of all ages can use the site. Roblox is currently available on PC, phone, tablet and Xbox One. Every game on Roblox is created by users, and there are a wide variety to choose from. These can vary from delivering pizzas, to roaming a kingdom as a medieval knight, to even starring in a fashion show. This variety is one of the reasons that Roblox is so popular with young people. And though Roblox has some safety precautions in place, it remains a target of people with less than good intentions. We urge parents to help kids protect themselves by enabling privacy settings, teaching them how to recognize the methods that online predators use to win kids trust and exploit them, and showing kids how to report bad behavior and block users.
Roblox games are social, multiplayer experiences. In fact, Roblox could be your child first experience with digital socializing. Players can comment and converse with other players inside a game and also chat with their friends on Roblox. Parents can turn off Roblox social features. You can earn Robux, the in game currency, through creating games yourself. You can also buy Robux in the game. Players can spend money on items such as Roblox Builders Club Membership, in order to customise their in game character (known as an avatar) and to improve their time within the game. If game creators earn a high amount of Robux, through attracting players and in game adverts, they can convert the Robux into real money. To exchange Robux for real money a player must be over the age of 13, have paid for Roblox’s premium subscription and have access to a Paypal account. This means that young players would need to talk to an adult to be able to exchange their Robux for real money.
Roblox was developed in 2005 by Roblox Corporation. As of September 2018, the game has 70 million monthly users. The game can be played on three main platforms: the Xbox One, online with either a PC or Apple computer, or on a mobile device through an app bought on either the Apple or Google Play store. Last year, kids under 13 played 51.5 million hours total of Roblox in just one month, making it the top game for that age demographic. Whilst the games are aimed at 8-18 year olds, there are no age restrictions. This means both adults and young people can play and communicate with each other on the platform. All games are multiplayer and include a written chat feature, which is visible to players within each individual game. Users can also make and receive friend requests during gameplay and this means that they can chat to each other outside of the game.
