Can video games be good for you? Roblox is enormously popular with children. It claims to be educational. But many parents are worried about online safety and big spending.
David Baszucki is the CEOThe Chief Executive Officer is the highest ranking person in a company. They are responsible for making decisions about the company’s future. and co-founder of Roblox. Last week he told the BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is the UK’s national broadcaster. : “My first message would be, if you’re not comfortable, don’t let your kids be on Roblox.”
Roblox describes itself as “the ultimate virtual universe”. It offers over 40 million colourful online games, often made by other users. Many of them are free to play. New games constantly appear. Current popular games include an anime football simulator, a zombie Western and a realistic London bus simulator.
It is the most popular gaming platform in the world, with more users than Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation combined. Last year over 80 million people played it every day. It is especially popular with teenagers and children. About 40% of users are below the age of 13.1
Yet Roblox has faced a flurry of negative headlines. Some games have been attacked for their violence.2
There have also been reports of inappropriate content and sexual harassment. Last August, Roblox was banned in TurkeyOfficially the Republic of Türkiye, a country that lies partly in Europe and partly in Asia at the east of the Mediterranean. over child safety concerns.3
Although most of the games are free, users can spend Robux on extras. These cost real money. There have been several cases of children stealing their parents’ money for Robux. In 2023, one Welsh 10-year-old spent over £2,500 using her mother’s credit card.
Despite these controversies, Roblox has attracted acclaim. Building a game can be a mind-expanding experience.
Roblox was originally founded as an educational tool. As tech expert Hamza Mudassir reports: “Teachers have increasingly adopted Roblox to teach subjects like coding, animation, and digital civilityPoliteness used in everyday life and conversation. .” Building games could be a valuable skill.
Children can also earn money through Roblox by selling games and extras for Robux. The platform paid $280m (£216m) to content creators in the last quarter of 2024 — although Roblox takes 30% of each sale.4
Last November Roblox introduced new protections, including a ban on private messages for under-13s and parental controls. But many parents are still worried about whether they should let their children play.
It is part of a wider discussion on children’s online and smartphone use — and who is responsible for it. Some responsibility lies with the companies that make digital content.
There is debate over the role individual parents and governments have to play. Parents have the right to want to protect their child from harmful content. But, writes psychologist Professor Sonia Livingstone, “technological innovation is fast, complex, opaqueNot clear. and largely unresponsive to parental concerns”.
Governments have more power to limit and challenge technology companies. Britain for instance recently enacted the Online Safety Act, which requires platforms to take action against harmful content. Yet some worry that government restriction can go too far and take away control from individuals.
Can video games be good for you?
Game on
Yes: Roblox is the digital equivalent of a paintbox and a blank canvas. It gives us the tools we need to unleash our creativity. It teaches people how to code, attract users and make money.
No: Games are addictive. They can damage our sleep and ruin our attention span. They can make us angry and aggressive. And the digital world is littered with dangers. Go outside and touch the grass.
Or… They can be but often are not. Making games is good for you. But most people on Roblox are simply playing the games others have made, as well as using it to chat with digital friends.
Keywords
CEO – The Chief Executive Officer is the highest ranking person in a company. They are responsible for making decisions about the company’s future.
BBC – The British Broadcasting Corporation is the UK’s national broadcaster.
Turkey – Officially the Republic of Türkiye, a country that lies partly in Europe and partly in Asia at the east of the Mediterranean.
Civility – Politeness used in everyday life and conversation.
Opaque – Not clear.
- As reported by BBC News.
- US investment firm Hindenburg Research made the claims last October, as reported in The Telegraph.
- As reported by The Conversation.
- As reported by Digiday.
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