No, Roblox is not completely safe for kids because the gaming platform can expose children to cyberbullying, scammers, predators, inappropriate content, malware and viruses. There are several reasons why Roblox is not entirely safe for children, such as the fact that its content is user-generated. This means that content on Roblox can range from completely innocent to serious violence, depending on the game creator.
Continue reading to learn more about what Roblox is, the risks of your children playing Roblox and how they can play Roblox safely.
What is Roblox?
Roblox is an online gaming platform that first came out in 2006 but grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for children to interact with each other.
What kinds of games are on Roblox?
It is a platform for a variety of game types, including simulation games, puzzles, role-playing games, shooting games and more. Most of the games on Roblox are created by game creators, so anyone can create and publish their games for others to play. Some children only play games that other people make, and other children play and create their own games. Many games like Jailbreak, Work in a Pizza Place or Disaster Survival allow children to play through adult-like scenarios in a competitive setting online.
Is Roblox free?
Although Roblox itself is free, players can spend real-life money to purchase Robux, which is the currency used within the game to buy outfits and customize a player’s avatar. Children are also encouraged to make in-game purchases, so if a child doesn’t understand that the game uses real-life money, you could lose a large amount of money.
What is the age limit for Roblox?
There is no age limit for playing Roblox, so players of all ages can play and create games on the platform. However, Roblox does have guidelines and age recommendations that are featured in each experience of the platform. While Roblox is generally thought of as a game for children, adults play Roblox too. This can lead to unwanted or potentially inappropriate communication between a child and an adult; more on that below.
Risks associated with kids playing Roblox
In addition to accidentally spending real money on a free game, there are more serious risks to a child’s privacy when playing Roblox.
Cyberbullying
Bullying in the real world is always a threat to children, but nowadays cyberbullying has grown unfortunately common in the online world. Most cyberbullying incidents include name-calling and offensive language to embarrass or anger the victim. Since there is no age limit to playing Roblox, some of this language and activity can be emotionally damaging, especially to children of younger ages.
Scammers
There are several different ways that your child could get scammed while playing Roblox. Many of the most common Roblox scams include people tricking other players into trading items bought with real money so they lose money while playing the game. Some scams try to entice players into clicking a link for free Robux, so it’s important to talk to your children about not clicking on suspicious links. These scams are often too good to be true, which is a common sign that an interaction is a scam.
Online predators
Because both adults and children play Roblox, a serious risk to your child’s safety is the possibility of them communicating with an online predator. Players in Roblox can communicate through voice or written messages after they have accepted each other’s friend requests. Predators typically lure children into communicating with them by pretending to be children themselves, then they take their online communication from Roblox onto a different platform and eventually in-person. According to Bloomberg, over two dozen people in the past six years have been accused of and arrested for kidnapping or abusing children they met while playing Roblox, and many of these suspects were registered sex offenders or child abusers. Make sure your child understands not to share private information, especially pictures of themselves or your home address, with strangers.
Inappropriate content
Although the games on Roblox can be created by anyone, Roblox does check that every created game has appropriate images and language. However, there are certain game modes that feature violence, horror and sexual content. Violent content in video games has been proven to increase levels of aggression in children, according to a 2015 report by the American Psychological Association (APA). For example, one of the most popular games on Roblox is called Survive the Killer, where each player must hide from a serial killer to avoid becoming a victim, or where a player is the serial killer and must hunt the other players. This game is rated as appropriate for children ages nine and older, but even children who fall within the age suitability range could become afraid or anxious as a result of the violence in that game.
Malware and viruses
If your child isn’t careful while playing Robox, they could get their device infected with malware or viruses. Malware is software that infects a device to steal the user’s private data, while a virus is a type of malware that needs someone to interact with it to infect a device and self-replicate onto other programs or files. Your child could encounter malware and viruses by sharing private information with strangers, downloading third-party software or clicking malicious links. For example, a popular web browser extension called SearchBlox claims to allow players to search for other Roblox users. However, this extension has been compromised and cybercriminals have been able to steal Robux (the currency in Robox) from the data that children enter into this malware.
Account takeovers
Another risk of your child playing Roblox is that they could become a victim of an account takeover attack. Account takeovers occur when cybercriminals steal a victim’s login credentials through phishing scams, and then use those credentials to access the victim’s account and lock them out. After a cybercriminal gains full access to their victim’s account, they impersonate the victim through identity theft and can even commit fraud. Cybercriminals that do this with Roblox accounts typically transfer any items of value from their victim’s account into their own Roblox account. This means if your child purchased anything using real money on their game and their Roblox account got hacked, they could lose everything they ever bought.
How you can keep your kids safe on Roblox
Despite the many security and privacy risks to your child playing Roblox, there are several ways you can keep them safe while they play on this popular gaming platform.
1. Set up your child’s Roblox account for them
By creating your child’s Roblox account, you can properly input their information, which reduces the risk of exposing them to inappropriate content. Enter your child’s birthday accurately into Roblox because the suggested content and communications settings differ depending on the child’s age. For example, if a child created their own account and wanted to claim they were older than they were, Roblox would suggest content that might be too mature for their actual age.
You should create a strong password for your child’s Roblox account to protect their private data and identity from cybercriminals. An easy way to create and store passwords for your whole family is by using Keeper Family Password Manager. Keep your family safe from cybercriminals with Keeper, where each of your family members gets their own digital vault to create and store passwords securely. When you use Keeper, you will have access to a built-in password generator that randomly generates strong and unique passwords using a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.
After you set up their account, make sure to turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). 2FA requires a user to enter their username, password and an additional method to verify their identity. This authentication method could be a PIN, a code from an authenticator app, facial recognition or a fingerprint scan – among other options. You can find where to enable 2FA under your child’s Roblox settings where it should say 2 Step Verification.
2. Verify the parental email address
Once you’ve signed your child up for their Roblox account, make sure to verify your parental email address. This is very helpful if you need to contact Roblox for support in the future and is also mandatory to set up a broad range of important parental controls. You can add a parental email address to your child’s Roblox account by logging in to their account, going into Settings, selecting Account Info and tapping Add Parent’s Email.
3. Create parental controls
As mentioned above, after you’ve verified your parental email address on your child’s Roblox account, you can then set up parental controls to keep them safe. Access parental controls by going to Settings and selecting Parental Controls. Here, you can determine if you want your child to be allowed to spend real money on Robux or set a limit on how much money they can spend. You should also enable an account PIN, which will ensure that these parental settings cannot be changed by anyone unless they know the PIN. This is important because, if you do not have a PIN created for your child’s parental controls, your child could go in and change the settings themselves.
4. Teach your kids safe practices for online chat rooms
With an online platform as expansive as Roblox, it is crucial to discuss online safety practices with your children, especially if they enter online chat rooms. Make sure that your child understands not to reveal personal information, speak with or accept private messages from strangers. Emphasize how important it is for your child to trust their gut if a person they interact with online makes them feel uncomfortable or nervous.
You can disable your child’s ability to chat online by logging in to your child’s Roblox account, visiting Settings, clicking the Privacy tab, finding Who can chat with me in app? and selecting No one. Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the screen to save your preferences.
5. Show your kids how to report abuse
If your child gets cyberbullied or encounters another player who is not following the rules, show them how to report abuse. To report a player, select the menu button that looks like the Roblox logo, click on the flag icon next to a user’s name and then select Report. From there, you will be asked a series of questions regarding the incident and the reason you’re reporting abuse.
6. Maintain an open line of communication with your children
Because so many different scenarios exist while your child plays Roblox, make sure to keep lines of communication open. As your child gets older, it is critical that you are able to speak to them about what kinds of activities they encounter or participate in online. If your child really enjoys playing Roblox, they will feel more comfortable discussing what they do on the platform if you understand how the game works and what they find so fun about it. This way, if anything ever goes wrong, your child will be more likely to tell you when something is wrong or if they need help with an online interaction.
Protect your kids when online gaming
After learning all about Roblox and its potential security risks to your children, it’s very important that you protect them when they play games online. Setting up your child’s Roblox account and creating a strong password could prevent their data and private information from being hacked by a cybercriminal.
Protect your entire family’s online safety today by using Keeper Family Password Manager.
