Credits: Social Media
7 online safety experts share one video game they would ‘never’ let their children play
As our world becomes increasingly tech-driven, the online safety of kids is a huge topic of conversation, and video games are a big part of that.
Seven online safety experts were asked which video game they would never let their own children play, and many of them said the same thing.
Video games online safety experts would ‘never’ let their kid play
“As an online safety expert, what is one video game you would never let your kid play?” someone from Gabb Wireless Official asked all the workers in her office before sharing the video on TikTok.
Online safety expert 1:
Grand Theft Auto
He said the music and visuals have “tonnes of explicit content” and many of the activities you do in the game are illegal such as selling drugs.
Online safety expert 2:
Roblox
Children don’t realise how “slick” online predators on Roblox are, meaning they can easily manipulate young kids, she warned.
Online safety expert 3:
Fortnite
The third expert said Fortnite is full of online purchases and “low-key violence” which is disguised by the “cute” design.
Online Safety expert 4:
Roblox
Online predators and explicit content are the reasons why she wouldn’t want her kids playing Roblox, as well as the fact it’s “super addictive”.
Online safety expert 5:
Roblox
This expert didn’t give an explanation, but simply said she would never let her kids play Roblox with a stern tone.
Online safety expert 6:
Discord
Discord is an instant messaging platform, not a video game, but it’s full of “cyberbullying” and not safe for children, he said.
Online safety expert 7:
Grand Theft Auto
The final expert warned the violence, sexuality and online exposure in Grand Theft Auto are all extremely inappropriate for children.
Parents don’t want their kids playing Roblox
The most common answer was Roblox, an online game platform that allows users to make and play games created by themselves or other people.
It’s the “ultimate virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends, and be anything you can imagine,” the description says.
As of 2024, the game has over 79.5 million daily active users, Statista reveals, but there are many concerns about its safety as it lets you chat with other users online.
According to the Child Crime Prevention & Safety Center, there are an estimated 500,000 online predators active each day who interact with young people on the internet.
These online predators build up a relationship with the minor before moving the conversation towards a sexual nature.
An estimated 89 percent of sexual advances at children take place in internet chatrooms or through instant messaging. Groomers particularly target websites they know are popular with children.
Roblox insists on implementing numerous controls and safety features to create a safe and fun environment for players.
“All chat on Roblox is filtered to prevent inappropriate content and personally identifiable information from being visible on the site,” they say.
Players also have different safety settings and experiences based on their age, with those under 12 having their posts and chats filtered for inappropriate content.
However, it’s difficult to regulate the messages other people send as by the time they have been deemed inappropriate, the content has already been seen by the child.
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