While Roblox as a whole has never been perfect, it has gotten a couple of different “reputations” from various groups that have played it. It’s true that it’s the most popular game on Earth in many respects due to the sheer volume of players on it every day, and it’s one where you can “make anything” with very few restrictions. However, that has led to numerous worlds being far “darker” than they arguably should be, given the game’s look, and that the younger player base has been “approached” by those who mean them harm. The microtransaction element that we’ve discussed in the past has also been a problem.
Those problems have given rise to many angry parents, while also resulting in numerous lawsuits against the Roblox team. Many have called their game “unsafe,” and state that it’s “too easy” for children to accidentally make payments to the game without parental consent.
To try and counter this, as noted by PocketGamer.biz, Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov has been hired as the head of parental advocacy for the game universe. Before you think that this is a “random hire,” she actually has quite a bit of experience in this field via her previous time in the LEGO Group.
She noted in a statement:
“I am excited to join Roblox to address the evolving challenges families face in today’s digital landscape. It is my personal mission to give parents the confidence and skills to raise children who thrive online while using technology safely and responsibly – today and tomorrow. This role underscores Roblox’s commitment to supporting parents with expert guidance, innovative tools, and community resources focused on child safety and family well-being.”
While this can be seen as a “good move,” it’s also one that needs to be viewed through a certain lens. For example, you could argue that they needed this position a while ago because the game had its issues long before now.
Second, just because this person has been hired doesn’t mean that the issues will stop. If anything else, they’ll need to be “slowly dealt with” over time, as this isn’t something that’ll go away immediately, as very recent stories have proven. The fact remains that there are plenty of safety issues within the game that put its younger player base at risk. Plus, while there have been “new parental controls” to try and prevent kids and young teens from getting into places they shouldn’t in the game, it hasn’t done that much to stop them.
Only time will tell how this hiring works out.
