Roblox is one of the most popular games for people of all ages, especially children. Its appeal to younger audiences stems from its colorful characters and game scenes.
As you may know, video games, especially action-packed ones, have age restrictions. Roblox is a virtual universe filled with games made by its users, so it offers action themes, including violent ones.
This raises the question, “Is Roblox safe for kids?” In this article, you will find out the answer to this question and how you can keep your children safe in the online gaming world.
What Are the Age Restrictions in Roblox?
Roblox comes with three age restrictions to ensure that minors can only access games that are appropriate for their age. These limitations aim to prevent children from playing harmful content.
Here are the age restrictions in Roblox:
- Ages 17 & Older.
In Roblox, this age range can play content with the label “Restricted.” Once a user turns 18, their Roblox account will automatically unlink to parental controls, allowing them to access all game and chat features. - Under 13.
Chat features are accessible to this age group if they have parental permission. However, they cannot play unrated games.
Game creators must answer Roblox’s Experience Questionnaire so parents of young users know what their children are exposed to. The game becomes unrated and unplayable for underaged users if the creator does not answer the questionnaire. - Under 9.
This age group needs parental permission to play “Moderate” games, which may have a medium level of violence or language.
Find out more about Roblox age restrictions on Roblox Help.
Considering Roblox’s age restrictions, the game aims to protect minor users against inappropriate content.
However, as kids are exposed to more technology, they become smart enough to overcome the restrictions and play experiences that aren’t meant for them. This is why many parents worry about whether Roblox is bad for their kids.
Is Roblox Safe for Kids?
No, Roblox is not entirely safe for kids, as it has inappropriate content, such as violent games, casino games, and foul language. Minors who play Roblox can also expose themselves to cyberbullying, online predators, hackers, and scammers.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a self-regulatory organization that rates video games based on age appropriateness, has given Roblox a T (Teen) rating. This means the game is suitable for teenagers.
However, some user-generated games, such as “Adopt Me!“ and “Barbie Dream House Tycoon,“ are appropriate for kids. So, it is worth noting that the games are not always why Roblox is unsafe for kids.
Sometimes, the game becomes inappropriate for minors because of its hidden dangers, such as older players who prey, bully, and scam them.
What Are the Hidden Dangers of Roblox?
Roblox is a safe space for children, mainly because of the parental controls it has set in place. Its danger comes from users who lurk on the app to deceive minor players.
These are the possible hidden dangers of Roblox:
1. Exploitation by Predators
Some users pose as kids to exploit and get a child’s personal information. They may also engage in inappropriate chat with strangers, leading to bullying and name-calling. Unfortunately, these are not the worst things that can happen when you leave children unsupervised while they use Roblox.
Predators who chat with your kids may try to gain their trust. Children can be over-trusting, so it’s easy for predators to exploit them sexually. They may also ask them to send revealing photos in the guise of friendship.
2. Condo Games
Condo games are games made for online daters. If you think they’re just in the game for harmless and wholesome interactions, then think again. Many of them engage in inappropriate behaviors, with their avatars interacting in sexually suggestive ways.
Speaking of avatars, most gamers who play condo games have naked avatars. Considering this, you can think of condo games as interactive pornography.
3. Inappropriate Audio Files
Roblox has strict guidelines for posting audio files. First, they must meet the game’s Community Standards, which protect users against violence, harassment, and exploitation.
However, some audio files can bypass these guidelines, allowing users to post them despite violations.
That said, Roblox is potentially unsafe for kids, as they may accidentally listen to inappropriate audio. These audio files may contain sexual sounds, violence, and profanity.
4. Malware, Viruses, & Scams
Another reason Roblox may be bad for kids is the presence of scammers. They may encourage kids to buy lots of Robux and trick them into sharing their passwords.
When your child shares personal information with strangers through chat or downloads third-party apps, their device may get infected by malware and viruses. Once a device is infected, scammers can access your child’s Roblox account and steal their Robux.
Are you wondering how much your child is spending on Robux? You can check Roblox transactions using this guide.
5. Account Theft
Another instance when cybercriminals use viruses against a child’s Roblox account is account theft. They can steal your kid’s login credentials and change their passwords to lock them out.
Once the victim can no longer access their account, cybercriminals can steal and use their identity to commit theft and fraud.
How to Make Roblox Safe for Kids
Because there are kids’ games on Roblox, it’s safe to say that some of them are safe for kids. But since it’s not entirely secure, you should know how to make the platform a child-friendly space.
These are the things you can do to make Roblox safe for kids:
1. Set Up Parental Controls
Parental Controls is Roblox’s way of helping parents control their children’s gaming accounts. You can set their screen time, privacy settings, and how much they can spend on Robux.
Parental Controls also let you limit the maturity of their games’ content, determine who they can chat with, and set language filters.
Follow these steps to set up Roblox’s Parental Controls:
- Step 1. Log in to your child’s Roblox account.
- Step 2. Go to “Settings > Parental Controls > Add a Parent”.
- Step 3. Type your email address in the message box that will appear.
- Step 4. Go to your email and find the message from Roblox.
- Step 5. Create or log in to your Roblox account.
- Step 6. Verify your parental account.
You can verify using a credit card or an ID. -
Step 7. Link to your child’s account.
After linking your child’s account and you, you can set all the features to keep them safe. Find out more about Parental Controls on Roblox Support.
2. Educate Your Child About Online Safety
If your child is old enough to understand the dangers lurking online, educate them about them and how to avoid them.
Teach them the importance of never sharing personal information with strangers. This way, they’ll know what to do when someone reaches out to them and asks for their name, address, phone number, or anything that can help strangers track them outside Roblox.
In addition, it emphasizes the possible repercussions of sharing their private information. Teach your child to seek help when someone is bullying, harassing, or sharing inappropriate content with them.
3. Monitor Roblox Voice Chat
Roblox makes games more interactive by allowing players to participate in voice chats during the game. While this may seem harmless, your child may hear obscene language from other players.
Worse, online predators may try to contact them through voice chat, thus adding to its danger.
To keep Roblox safe for kids, don’t allow them to use headsets while gaming. It would also help to let them play only in common areas. This way, you can easily monitor what they hear during games.
Learn more about Roblox voice chat on Roblox Help.
If you find someone chatting maliciously with your child, here’s how to mute someone on Roblox.
4. Limit Their Screen Time
The World Health Organization has declared “gaming disorder” as a mental health disorder. Roblox has a design that encourages younger audiences to keep playing. If you don’t set screen time for your children, playing Roblox can lead to addiction.
Therefore, it’s crucial to help your children develop a healthier lifestyle by encouraging them to perform activities outside of online gaming. For instance, you can spend time with them playing board games, reading, or anything that will keep them from getting addicted to gaming.
You can also encourage them to develop hobbies that involve physical activities like sports or music.
Roblox Help has an article outlining how to set screen time limits on parental controls.
5. Explore the Platform With Your Child
The best way to get an understanding of the games your child is playing on Roblox is to explore it with them. Explore games with them and find which ones are suitable for their age.
You can even play with them to examine the game thoroughly and check if it has hidden dangers.
6. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
VPNs allow you to change locations and hide your device’s IP address. Doing this will prevent online predators from tracking where your child is, thus keeping them safe.
Using an antivirus can also increase your child’s protection on Roblox. This will prevent malware and viruses from infecting their game and posing threats.
Despite all the safety measures in check, you should still monitor your child’s Roblox account regularly. This way, you can ensure that Roblox remains safe for kids.
Your Child’s Safety Is in Your Hands
While Roblox is not entirely safe for kids, you can set safety measures in place. This way, you don’t have to completely stop them from playing the game.
Roblox is an online community filled with people of different ages. Game creators will not always make their games child-friendly. Therefore, your child’s safety is in your hands. You should monitor their online presence, who they’re interacting with, and what games they’re playing.
