Who knew this existentialist playwright could so succinctly summarize the dangers of the internet.
In all seriousness, the essence of parenting is: doing what we can within our own control, to prepare our kids for the things which we cannot control.
Although platforms like Roblox have been too late in putting in adequate parental controls, which are still inadequate, the issue is not Roblox, or Discord, or Fortnite, or ANY single platform or device.
The issue is other people and access to others.
I have addressed the idea of skill transfer with online safety in other videos, but even while we address those skills we still want to protect them from the things they aren’t ready to navigate on their own.
If your kid is asking for a new game or app and you’re unsure if it’s safe, you can look for reviews on sites like Common Sense Media, but I recommend that you download it yourself.
That way, you’re the first person to put eyes on the settings. If the app is immediately urging you to sign up for notifications, connect with others, chat with “friends”, those are all indicators that the game is focused on interactions with others.
You can see if the game works without internet, and you can check the settings menu to see if you can limit the chat settings. If there are separate parental controls, that is another great place to look.
You can also do this system-wide on consoles through the settings menu of the device itself, even on iPhones through iOS settings and across Google devices through Google Family Link, which covers android phones, google play store, searches in Chrome browser, even their Youtube access.
If you want a step-by-step guide to help you decide how to navigate safety for devices and apps, see Chapter 7 of my book “Power On: Managing Screen Time to Benefit the Whole Family” available wherever you buy books or via your library!
