Many of today’s youth have spent countless hours playing video games on their parents’ phones or watching different YouTubers play games. One game that seems to be in many young people’s childhoods is Roblox, a game that can be played on PC, console, and mobile devices. It has games of all kinds of genres that you can play with friends or strangers.
That’s where the problem arises. Since it can be played with strangers, some feel that Roblox has become an unsafe place, particularly with new updates that have become less strict on what kinds of games can be on the app. For example, since voice chat was added, some feel there has been less censorship on what can be said on the app.
“I saw people saying things that were definitely inappropriate and shouldn’t have been allowed. It just goes to show how important good moderation and after features are on platforms like Roblox, especially on the younger audience,” said FCHS sophomore Jesica Ceron.
Another issue with Roblox is how easy it makes it for minors to talk to older people. This has raised many concerns for parents and kids. An article on Forbes, for example, noted that “on Aug. 4, a California family sued Roblox for negligence, alleging their 10-year-old daughter was kidnapped by a 27-year-old man she met through the game.”
Then, a YouTuber known by the name “Schelp” has started making videos finding and addressing safety issues on the platform, such as older people talking to kids and other inappropriate behavior. Because of his videos, on Aug. 9, 2025, Roblox banned him from their platform, citing his method of going undercover as a young gamer as a violation of their rules.
This caused major backlash to Roblox, leading some parents and users to ask, “Does Roblox truly care about its players’ safety?”
Since then, states like Florida and Oklahoma have launched investigations into Roblox, highlighting the company’s “lack of adequate safety measures” and age verification process, and arguing it is “overrun with harmful content and child predators.” The state of Louisiana has even gone as far as to sue the company.
Roblox responded to the issue on Aug. 22 with a video that features Roblox CEO David Baszucki addressing and apologizing for the company’s mistakes. Fans quickly speculated that the video was AI-generated, a theory which has yet to be proven. Many fans were outraged, calling the apology insincere.
Will Roblox survive the controversy? Some think it is still a beloved game and should have a chance to be better. “I love Roblox. I grew up on it, and I’ve made so many memories that I don’t think I’ll ever want to let go of,” said Ceron.
Others, like sophomore Giannah Keilis Christian, feel that things can’t remain how they are. “I enjoy Roblox, but I think that if they don’t shut down, they need to make big changes to the game to make it a safer app for all age groups and appropriate for younger kids,” she said.
