Is gaming app Roblox actually safe for children?

Is your child as obsessed with Roblox as ours?

It's all they want to play with, but is it actually safe for children? Roblox is a kids' game that allows users to design and build a virtual 3D world and interact with one another. But there is concern over some aspects of the game, including characters doing inappropriate things and the fact that gamers can chat with strangers. Parents have expressed their concerns about the gaming app, but creators claimed it is safe. The creators stressed that it is safe for children, but advised parents to monitor their children's accounts.

"Police have told parents to check their children's Roblox accounts for friends they didn't know."

Police in Kent previously expressed concern about Roblox because children were talking to people they didn't know. A police spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News. "We were talking to a very large group of Year 1 students and were shocked when over half said they were playing Roblox," the note read. "Most children disclosed that they had online friends in Roblox that their parents didn’t know about. "It got worse when many of the children stated they had received in-game messages from strangers and they hadn’t told their parents. “All of the children said they had seen naked characters walking around the game and doing very adult things." Police have told parents to check their children's Roblox accounts for friends they didn't know. A representative for the game said in a statement that user safety is a priority and that it's constantly working to improve its safeguards.

"Together we want to work with parents and the community to stay vigilant over today’s online landscape and continue to build best practices to avoid negative situations. We want to make sure that all users are aware of the potential challenges and navigate them through it. "This is a priority for us. We want all users to be safe on Roblox, and we will continue to invest in the safety of the game so it is a positive, productive, fun and protected space for our community. We would like to hear from parents if they have questions or suggestions."

How safe is Roblox?

Looking online, the general consensus seems to be that the game is OK but needs stringent supervision. "Like all multi-player online games with user-generated content," writes child cyber safety blogger the Internet Safety Lady, "there is a risk of stranger danger and adult content." It has a three-star rating on the internet safety forum Common Sense Media. The forum also recommends a minimum age of 10 for players. The thread is well-worth reading - check it out here. Do you let your child play Roblox? Or do you think the gaming app is too risky for young children? Let us know what you think in the comments or over on Instagram.