In recent weeks, many historic events have taken place in the country, and the news has been devoted entirely to the return of the hostages and the end of the war – and rightly so. But in Israeli parents’ WhatsApp groups, another topic has been simmering, bubbling, and dominating the conversation – the gaming platform Roblox. Angry messages, videos, petitions, fear-mongering articles that are easy to share, and calls for joint action: Let’s boycott the game that’s “corrupting our children.”
This outcry from parents didn’t stay confined to WhatsApp groups and social media. Just this week, the Israeli Association for the Child in Early Childhood warned during a special Knesset Committee for the Rights of the Child discussion about the game. In the discussion, they claimed that Roblox teaches children how to steal characters, cheat, lie, and even extort other children in the virtual world, and also warned of pedophilia and violence.
The committee also received complaints about a game event that went on until the early hours of the morning, causing children to stay up late, and about parents’ distress when other parents complain that their child “stole” a character in the game. Such complaints have become very common lately.
Instead of setting boundaries at home — how much time is spent on the computer, when to go to sleep, which games are allowed and which are not, and what behavior is expected online — parents are asking for external supervision. They want a responsible adult hand to take the burden off them, ban the games, and set the limits for them.
And that’s a problem. Because the responsibility for raising our children always lies with us, the parents. Not the Knesset, not the Israeli Association for the Child, not the school, and not anyone else. Computer games are here to stay, and if we choose to withdraw from raising our children in the virtual world, we will pay a heavy price.
And no, blocking access is not the solution. Because if it’s not Roblox, it will be something else. Parents of older kids surely remember there was the exact same uproar about Fortnite, which remains one of the most popular games today.
Let’s go back a bit. As mentioned, Roblox has become synonymous with corruption in parents’ groups on social networks and WhatsApp. But unfortunately, most parents don’t really know the games their children are playing.
Roblox is a platform containing tens of thousands of games, and naturally, some are better, some worse, and some are indeed disturbing. Just like on Netflix — where you can find The Magic School Bus and Home Alone, but also Squid Game. Do you remove Netflix from your home TV or explain to your kids why they can’t watch a violent show like Squid Game? It’s exactly the same thing.
Does having Netflix at home mean your kids can stay up until midnight watching TV? No. Same thing here. Yes, Roblox is always accessible, and its events are tempting, but it’s the parents’ responsibility to set boundaries.
Don’t stay on the outside
The whole issue of screens — especially gaming — is very complex. We don’t want our kids to spend endless hours staring at screens, and we truly worry when we see their blank expressions. But screens are complicated for us adults, too. Most adults I know want to spend less time on their phones, scroll less aimlessly — and fail. Many are addicted to phone games or can’t fall asleep without adding items to their virtual shopping cart. So yes, it’s obviously very addictive.
But this is the world we live in. And if we want to have influence over the world our kids are growing up in, we can’t afford to just be the opposing side. If all they hear from us is “enough with the screens,” “turn it off already,” or dismissive comments like “when I was your age I played outside!” — we’ll end up shut out of a huge part of their lives.
If we only oppose screens, we distance ourselves from our children’s interests, meaning they won’t share what they see there. And once they shut us out of that part of their world, there’s a risk that if they encounter inappropriate content or online bullying, they won’t tell us. Our role is to be present, involved, attentive, protective, guiding — and most importantly, someone they can turn to for advice.
For that to happen, we need to take interest in the content our kids watch or play — even if it doesn’t really interest us. Try to understand what the game is about, why they like it, and be part of that world. Because when your child is five, you can just turn off the screen, but when they’re fifteen — you might find yourself outside, looking in. Screens aren’t “taking our kids away”; we just need to learn to work with them, not against them.
Talk to your kids — for real
After you show interest in their world and get to know the games they like (no child will miss the chance to show you a new skill in a game), find a calm time to talk about screens, games, and your limits. Such a conversation should be eye-level, involving listening and asking questions — not lecturing. If you come prepared, with rational explanations, and also listen to theirs, you can create a usage agreement that works for both sides.
For example, you can tell your kids you read an article about the dangers of Roblox and that you’re concerned. Ask if they’ve encountered bullying or bad language, and how they react. When I had such a talk with my boys, they showed me how to report inappropriate behavior in the game. We also discussed how to identify age-inappropriate content and why it’s important to close the game or video when they encounter it.
I also recommend talking to kids about the different types of games and your behavioral expectations. It’s important to come to this talk prepared and with solid reasoning. In our home, for example, the rule is no gaming two hours before bedtime (on regular days), because it raises cortisol levels and disrupts good sleep. Another rule is that we don’t spend money on in-game purchases. My credit card isn’t linked to any computer or phone — it’s simply not an option. The reasoning: All games use manipulations to make us spend more and more, and it’s wasteful because they can enjoy them without that.
When they play with friends (and that’s a major social arena these days), they know to treat others the same way they would in real life. Since kids usually play at home, you can hear and see how they talk to their friends — and discuss it with them. We’ve had several important talks about jealousy and competitiveness that wouldn’t have happened without the game.
There are many more rules you can create — each home according to what fits it and its values. You can even choose not to allow screens or games at all. Every choice is valid. But we have to choose — not let others decide for us. We can’t just close our eyes and hope it disappears. And we definitely can’t let kids play without limits while only criticizing them for it.
So before you delete Roblox or send another outraged message in the class group — stop for a moment. Check what’s really going on there, talk to your kids, listen to them, explain your limits, and be present. Because the digital world isn’t going anywhere — and our children need us inside it, not outside.
Yifat Sani is a certified parent coach from the Adler Institute, specializing in early childhood and adolescence.