[devjab]

What convinced you to let them play? I’m genuinely curious as I’ll never allow any my kids to play these sort of exploitive games (or in this case platforms since not every Roblox game is exploiting).

I’m not preaching by the way. Exposure may be a better strategy to teach about the dangers of these digital garbage cans. I just don’t want my kids to grow up having even experienced any of these things that I consider terrible consumption patterns. Similarly they don’t get on YouTube or any form of SoMe until they are at least 13. I am a little undecided when it comes to actually creating something… I’m not sure how I would handle it if my daughter wanted to make a YouTube channel about her gardening as an example. Or in the case of Roblox create a game.

[waltbosz]

> What convinced you to let them play?

They had friends that played it and they wanted to play it with their friends. So we started out small by letting them play it only when their friends were visiting. That gave me a way to say yes, but also with strict limits. Once I got to know it better, I got comfortable letting them play it on their own.

I also let them know that if they ever want to buy Robux (the in game currency), that they will be using their own money. It gives them experience with budgeting and valuing money. My daughter has spent most of her Christmas and birthday money already on toys and Robux, and she is learning that money is finite and should be spent wisely.

Once cool thing about it: my daughter's best friend is our neighbor's granddaughter, but she live 2 hours away. However, Roblox plus video calls means they still get to play together regularly.

[em-bee]

on average roblox games are not much worse than most other free-to-play games with in-game sales, especially compared to mobile games. i let my kids play almost anything (screened for violence and other undesirable stuff), but i don't allow them to spend any money on games whatsoever. not even their own.

i want them to learn and accept that computer games, and especially in-game sales, are not something to spend money on. they can do that when they are grown up and have learned the value of the money through their own work. we don't let kids smoke or drink alcohol either. some things don't need to be learned that early. (i didn't learn anything from getting pocket money as a 10 year old, but later i got all the money i needed to build my own bike and travel through europe on my own because i could justify the expense. (while we were living on social security))

Roblox plus video calls means they still get to play together regularly

that's the reason i loosened the "no phone" policy, because roblox no longer works on linux/wine.