Roblox has become a worldwide gaming phenomenon. It has over a million users from around the world and it has been particularly popular among kids.
In spite of this, some parents are still confused and unaware of what it is.
If you are one of these parents, then stick around and read further.
We would discuss this new “cool” thing that your kids are so invested in.
Table of Contents
What is Roblox?
According to their website, “Roblox is a global platform where millions of people gather together every day to imagine, create, and share experiences with each other in immersive, user-generated 3D worlds.”
Sounds complicated, right?
Let me simplify and break it down for you.
“Roblox is a global platform” just means that wherever country you are; you can download the app on any device for free.
“where millions of people gather together” this is a little complicated so let me provide you with further background on what the Roblox app is.
The Roblox app itself is not the game, rather it just housed different kinds of games within the app.
Since Roblox is a coding apps for kids, they need to connect their device to the internet every time they play a game within the app.
Still following?
Okay, once your kid starts to play a game within the app, he or she can meet other people online who are also playing the same game.
By “meet” means, your kid or the other person who is also playing the game can initiate a conversation or send a friend request.
As for the kinds of games found in the app, it is not funded for commercial release nor it is vetted or rated by any authorities.
To put it all together, Roblox is a global platform where any developers can share the games they created. Anyone who downloads the Roblox app can play the games shared by the developers. Since it is an online platform, the app allows users to communicate with each other.
That might seem a lot to process, and you might already have a few questions in mind.
So with that, we have answered some of the possible questions that we think you might ask.
Are the games suitable for my kids?
Roblox itself does filter and check the games that are being stored in their app.
However, since there are so many games being uploaded to their platform, there will be times where inappropriate games for kids might occasionally slip up.
If you Google search ‘is Roblox safe for kids,’ you would see these rare cases mentioned in several articles.
But it is worth noting that Roblox has provided solutions and remedies to these problems.
To appease worried parents, they have put Customizable Parental Controls within the app.
This way, you would be able to restrict your kids’ access to only age-appropriate games.
Can strangers easily reach out and message my kids using this app?
Yes, however before you jumped to any conclusion. Hear us out first.
Yes, your kids would be able to talk to random people on the internet. However, Roblox has put several safety measures in order to avoid any harm to your kids.
Roblox has chat filters that proactively remove inappropriate content from the platform.
So if someone messages your kid with any inappropriate content, the app would just remove the message and your kid will not even see it.
Another feature of the Customizable Parental Controls that we mentioned before is that you can limit or completely disable the online chat.
This way, you are certain that your kids are not communicating with anyone they just met online.
If in case some random stranger managed to slip into your child’s account, then you can just report their account.
Roblox has several moderators who will evaluate whether the account needs to be suspended or not.
All in all, Roblox has been attentive to some parents’ qualms about the app.
They in turn have responded and put several safety measures in place within the app.
Are all the games free?
Most of the games found in the app are free to play.
However, there is an in-app purchase called Robux.
Robux allows your kids to modify and customize their character.
Kids can buy outfits and equipment for their character using Robux.
That is why you should ensure that you are tracking and protecting your credit card details to avoid unanticipated purchases.
You can also have a discussion with your kids beforehand so that you can prevent shocking bills on your credit card.
How can I be sure that my kids are always safe in this app?
One of the best ways to fully understand the risks and dangers of this app is to actually browse through it and use it.
This way, aside from the Roblox’s safety features, you would be able to come up with your own safety measures.
Just by briefly browsing through the app, you would be able to know what games your kids are playing as well as who they are talking to.
What are the other security features of Roblox?
Aside from the security measures we mentioned above, Roblox also has Parent Pin settings and the 2-Step Verification.
Parent Pin
You can lock the account settings using a 4-digit PIN. This way, your kids would not be able to make any changes in the settings you have set.
So even if your kids want to turn off the privacy setting and allow online chat, they would not be able to do it because they do not have the 4-digit PIN.
2-Step Verification
If your kids or anyone tries to log in to the account using a different device without your permission, they would not be able to sign in even if they know the password.
Roblox will send the security code to your email. And since you are the only one who has access to that email account, no one can log in to the Roblox account on another device without your permission.
How do I turn on the account restrictions?
To further help you, we have inserted the direct instructions from the Roblox’ website
On a computer
- Log into the account
- Click the gear icon located at the upper-right corner of the site
- Select the Settings option indicated by the gear icon
- Select Security option
- In the Account Restrictions section, press the toggle button to turn on Account Restrictions
- The toggle will turn green and the following message will be displayed “Account Restrictions is currently enabled”
- If you would like to disable Account Restrictions, simply press the toggle button again
On a mobile device
- Log into the account in the app
- Click the More button indicated with three dots located at the lower-right corner of the page
- In the pop-up menu, select the Settings option
- Select Security in the menu on the left-hand side of the screen
- In the Account Restrictions section, press the toggle button to turn on Account Restrictions
- The toggle will turn green and the following message will be displayed “Account Restrictions is currently enabled”
- If you would like to disable Account Restrictions, simply press the toggle button again
What are some of the safety measures I can do for my kids?
1. Use alias
This just goes without a saying, but in any case, you should avoid using and displaying your kid’s real name.
2. Familiarize yourself with the app
The best way to minimize risk is to play and have fun with your kids through the app.
3. Warn them of the dangers
Before you allow your kids to use this app, you should give them a heads up of what to expect and warn them about the possible dangers they might face.
4. Read Roblox’ FAQ and Parent’s Guide
This way, you would be able to fully utilize all of its safety measures and features
Are there any benefits from using this app?
Apart from your kids having fun, there are also educational benefits from this app.
Like any other math help websites or math apps, your kid can also learn other subjects like coding through games and apps like Roblox.
As we previously mentioned, Roblox is a global platform and a coding websites for aspiring coders and developers.
With the help of this app, your kids might be more inclined to know and learn more about coding.
Given that coding has become a new literacy nowadays, it would be a value-added skill if they decide to learn it.
Since coding is not only relevant in the tech and IT industry, it would certainly set your child up for future success.
Can my kids learn coding through Roblox?
Yes, Roblox is also a great learning website for kids and the app itself is already an immersive educational tool that can spark your kids’ interest in coding.
It offers courses that can help your kids learn game design and other kids coding languages. Aside from that, educators also use Roblox coding as an additional teaching tools in coding classes for kids.
The programming language used by Roblox is based on a combination of Lua and C++.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we were able to explain what Roblox is and you were able to see it from a different light.
To recap the things we mention, we discussed
- What is Roblox?
- Are the games suitable for my kids?
- Can strangers easily reach out and message my kids using this app?
- Are all the games free?
- How can I be sure that my kids are always safe in this app?
- What are the other security features of Roblox?
- How do I turn on the account restrictions?
- What are some of the safety measures I can do for my kids?
- Are there any benefits from using this app?
- Can my kids learn coding through Roblox?
Besides its bad reputation among parents, Roblox is still a promising app for aspiring coders and developers who wants to share their coding games to the public.
Through this global platform, coders are able to freely share their work, and kids in turn can have a lot of fun playing different games within the app.
If your kids are already taking coding classes online, then Roblox would be a great supplementary tool to sustain their interest in coding.
Todd VanDuzer
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