Roblox is also an online multiplayer game, which means that players can interact with each other. Roblox is an excellent introduction to online gaming, but it carries some risk. Talking to your children online with people who might not be as you think they are. It doesn’t sound like an idea that would be a good one, does it?
Recently, the BBC reported on incidents in which children’s safety was compromised. These reports are not new to me, and I am sure they will continue to be reported.
Roblox, if you take the necessary precautions and teach your child how safety is important, can still be a safe place for them to play. Let me explain.
What is Roblox exactly?
Roblox is a free computer game. Visit www.roblox.com to sign up and download Roblox.
Roblox is different from other games in that it runs on community-created servers. This means that the games are hosted on servers created by other members of this community and not by the creators of the game. However, exceptions may exist. This means that the content is not only created by random people, but also those who join the servers.
Although most of the content is available for free, you can purchase assets and customizations using an in-game currency called “Robux”. Robux can be purchased with real money.
My child can chat with random people online?
Yes, the chat window in game allows your child to talk to anyone.
That sounds scary…
It sure does. When I first learned about it, I was thinking the exact same thing. Although I was initially reluctant to try it, I soon realized that I needed to make a plan. Months later, Roblox is his favorite game and he’s having a lot of fun while remaining safe.
These tips are that I hope will be of use to you.
1. The Parents Guide – Although it may seem like a lot of work to have to read a guide about the game your child is interested in, the nature of this game makes it worth the effort. You can find it here: https://corp.roblox.com/parents/ . Although everything on this page can be learned, I want to emphasize this point:
a. Roblox provides parental controls. These include chat options, chat with friends, no chat, chat with others, account visibility (13+) and account PIN code features. There is also an Account Restrictions feature that restricts access to games for children under 13.
2. Do not use your child’s real name when creating an account username. This may seem obvious, but it is important to remember that your child cannot use their real names. Allow them to be creative and pick a random username. GladiatorCheese. FlowerMcFlowerHead. You can’t give their real name. It is possible that you don’t want to give their birth date. However, they will use your birthday to determine the age of your child.
3. Enable Parental Controls. This is the most important thing to do to keep your child safe while playing Roblox.
A. Allow PIN – After you log in, click the cog at the top right. Navigate to Settings.
b. Click Security. Turn on Security. If you have not assigned an email address to your account, it’ll ask you to.
c.After you’ve done that, it will ask for your PIN. This PIN should be kept private! A PIN is required for every change your child makes to the administration settings. They can’t modify the settings if they don’t have a PIN.
d. Account Restrictions can be applied. This means that your child can only access curated content (content reviewed and approved by Roblox), and not any content created by anyone.
Go to Privacy. You can modify your Contact Settings. You can set communication settings to Off so that your child cannot chat (as shown in the screenshot below). However, you should at least make sure that “Who can talk with me ingame” is turned to No.
f. Now you may want to modify the settings to prevent your child from being invited to other games. You can keep “Who can play with me in this game” as Friends. I’ll explain why later.
4. ConnectSafely Parents Guide Download – Roblox also offers free exploits safety guide by ConnectSafely (an online safety organization based in the US).
5. Please read the FAQ. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to do that. But it is important to be in the know https://corp.roblox.com/faq/
6. Play with your child and create an account. This is the best way to do this – create an account and play with your child! Create an account and search for your child’s username. Once you find them, click “Add friend”. You and your child will now be able to join the same game. This is something I do often with my son. Sometimes, he finds a new game and I join him to find out what it is. Chat is on all the time so I can see what people are saying while he cannot.
7. If your child is playing, sit with them. You can watch what your child is doing and make sure they are safe.
8. Inform them about the dangers. Have you ever told your child to not talk to strangers? Have you ever warned them about the dangers of touching electricity sockets. You should use the same approach to teach them online behavior – and be open about it. You should tell them there are bad people online. If they ask you for their real name, address, or compromising photos, be honest. Are they inviting you to use another chat program? Ask them to tell you.
The BBC article talked about a third-party chat app…
The other danger is that Roblox does not have control over your child’s use of third-party chat apps like Facebook Messenger, , or Discord. Parents should be vigilant and provide guidance.
It sounds like a lot of work
You know what? I know, right?
These days, Roblox is still available. If your child is not comfortable with Roblox or you are unsure of something, you can stop them from playing it. They will be upset and they might not like it for a while. You’ll be able to agree that this is a price worth paying to ensure your child’s safety.
Roblox is safe?
Safety should be a top priority when you are dealing with children online. Roblox provides you with the tools to protect your child online. You can tell them what to watch out for, show them how you feel about it and let them know what your favorite games are. Ask them to report any issues that they find. This does not apply to Roblox only, it applies to all online interactions, including gaming and social media, as well as e-mail.
