Roblox’s Global Head of Parental Advocacy, Dr Elizabeth Milovidov, encourages families to revisit their approach to online safety.
Dr. Milovidov shares practical, easy-to-understand gaming safety tips designed to help parents feel more informed and confident, without needing to be technical experts.
Start with privacy and safety basics
Before your child starts gaming, consider what privacy and safety settings might be right for them. Establishing simple steps can make a big difference in protecting their online experience.
- Choose a safe username: avoid real names, ages, or personal details that could identify your child.
- Set privacy settings that suit your family: discuss who they can interact with.
- Consider turning location sharing off: if possible on the gaming app.
- Familiarise yourself and your children with reporting tools: teach them how to block or report inappropriate behaviour.
Get in the game
Take the time to learn about the games your children love playing. The more you know about the games they play and the platforms they use, the better equipped you’ll be to guide safe and positive experiences.
Roblox, for example, is one of the most popular gaming platforms among children and teens, offering thousands of user-created games. There is an online Safety Centre to help parents and carers understand what Roblox is, guides on how to use parental controls, and answers to common questions.
Playing games alongside your child isn’t just fun – it shows you value what they love and creates natural opportunities to talk about safety, friendships, and the skills they’re building.
Talk through their gaming experiences
Online games are great fun, but they can also bring challenges like bullying or stress. Instead of reacting only when problems arise, start early – use everyday gaming moments to teach coping strategies and essential digital life skills.
If your child encounters bullying or stress online, work through solutions together:
- Take a break with mindfulness strategies like Box Breathing or a quick walk.
- Switch to a different game or play with trusted friends.
- Reinforce that asking for help is always okay.
- Approach a trusted adult if they feel unsafe.
Get familiar with parental controls
Managing your child’s gaming experience doesn’t necessarily require constant supervision – it all depends on what works for your family. Whilst I would always recommend you remain engaged with your child’s gaming activity, most platforms and devices offer parental tools to help you set limits on screen time, content, and interactions, so you can feel confident even if you’re not watching them over their shoulder.
Parental Control on Roblox, for example, let parents and carers remotely manage settings such as:
- screen time limits
- content maturity levels and the type of games they can play
- who your child can chat with
- how much they can spend
The best time to set these controls is before your child starts gaming – but it’s never too late to adjust them. As kids grow and become more savvy online, boundaries will evolve too. Staying engaged and having open conversations with your children helps you decide what’s right for them.
For more tips and guidance, visit: netsafe.org.nz/gaming/gaming-together.
