How to Stop Roblox Addiction
Welcome to our guide on How to Stop Roblox Addiction. If you find yourself playing Roblox too much, or you are concerned about a loved one, then we will show you step-by-step how to stop playing Roblox and get control back.
Roblox is available on most platforms, including PC, tablets, mobile, and consoles. Roblox is rated E10+ by the ESRB, which standards for Everyone 10 years and older. Although the game contains Fantasy Violence, most gameplay should be suitable for kids. In the U.K., Roblox is rated PEGI-7 despite its occasional bloody themes.
More than 40 million people play Roblox daily, and 67% of players are under 16. Roblox appeals to a younger audience, yet over five million daily players are over 25.
Although millions of people play Roblox for fun, some players develop a problem. Excessive gaming has caused parents to look for answers on how to stop their children from playing Roblox so much.
Suppose you have tried to stop your son or daughter from playing Roblox or implemented account restrictions without success. In that case, this article will help you.
What does it take for the Roblox addiction to go away?
- Understand and recognize why your child plays Roblox so much
- Rebuild trust and rapport between you and your child
- Create a practical plan for your family, including new activities
- Find support from peers and professionals
Below we will detail each step to stop your child from playing Roblox and turn their attention to other, more productive activities instead.
Why Roblox is So Addictive to Children
Addiction to Roblox (and other similar games like Fornite or Minecraft) is most common with children, especially those under 16. Teens and adolescents are at risk of developing gaming problems because they lack brain development for executive functioning and self-control.
Although Roblox appears to be a harmless game where kids can use their creativity, there is also a lot of adult content inside the game that is inappropriate for children. Parents need to set up parental controls and monitor their gameplay to keep them safe.
Roblox also contains specific game design features that can make Roblox more engaging and addictive for some players. Here are some of the common motivations for play:
Creativity
Children need creative tasks to help them with their personal and mental development. Video games do have a role to play in that aspect.
When played moderately, video games can foster creativity in children, which will be beneficial for their development.
Roblox has an abundance of creative tasks. From creating new maps to finding ways to overcome obstacles inside the game, you’ll need creativity to beat the levels in the game.
Roblox appeals to players who want to have fun and be creative at the same time.
Challenge and Novelty
In Roblox, each player can create games and maps for other people to try and play, making it a challenge in and of its own.
When you play games and complete challenges like this, your brain releases dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter in your brain that enables you to feel happiness and pleasure.
Beating challenges (and other players) can become addictive quickly, especially for players who enjoy achievement and competition.
In addition, gamers experience constant levels of novelty inside the game, fulfilling our need for variety. There are always new games, maps, and characters to try, making the game feel like an ever-evolving entity that never stops providing entertainment.
The Social Aspect
Children need regular socialization to grow and develop.
In Roblox, players can find shared areas inside the game to hang out, complete challenges, and form relationships with other players.
In addition, Roblox can be a place to hang out with others without the danger of being bullied or mistreated. That’s why games like Roblox can provide a safe alternative to socialize and find new friends for children.
Let’s not forget the impact Covid-19 has had on our younger generation and the socialization of children. Games like Roblox are now one of the primary spaces for young people to socialize.
Warning: Roblox is known as a dream playground for child predators. Make sure your child’s avatar does not include any identifying information and that you discuss safety precautions with them.
In-Game Purchases
Lastly, we cannot ignore the in-game purchases in Roblox.
Roblox is free to download; however, it contains in-game purchases using their virtual currency Robux which you obtain with real money.
“Players can use Robux to obtain new clothes, accessories, and gear for their avatar. They can also purchase special abilities, bonus in-game content, and access to certain user-created games.” -Patricia E. Vance.
The developers of Roblox make spending inside the game as easy as possible. Due to the game’s social nature, players can feel peer pressure to spend money when their friends do.
Children can spend insane amounts of money inside the game quickly, often using their parents’ credit cards. Recently we received an email from a concerned parent whose child spent $3500 on in-app purchases in Roblox. We’ve heard hundreds of similar cases over the years.
Roblox Addiction Test – Signs & Symptoms
If you’re worried about your child’s addiction to Roblox, these are some of the main signs and symptoms you should be looking out for:
- Nagging to play more Roblox
- Unable to moderate or limit play
- Prioritizing Roblox over regular life responsibilities
- Poor performance at school or work
- Reduced attention span and difficulty with focus
- Lack of motivation for other activities
- Anger, fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions
- Neglected physical health
- Conflict with family
Suppose you are experiencing five or more of the signs or symptoms above. In that case, you may have a problem with Roblox and should seek professional help.
Concerned about your gaming? Take the Video Game Addiction Test.
How to Stop Roblox Addiction
Son addicted to Roblox? Try these steps to stop their Roblox addiction for good.
Step 1: Understand Why Your Child Plays Roblox So Much
Often when we work with families and their children with gaming addictions, the first step we’ll go through is understanding their child and why they play Roblox so much.
Some of the most common reasons we’ve found include:
- Negative emotions such as sadness, depression, fear, anger
- Bullying – games can give a sense of belonging to your child, especially if they are bullied in school
- Boredom
- Lack of replacement activities to challenge your child
- No friends or their only friends are virtual
- Identity and cultural reasons
Of course, these are just some of the main reasons we often see when parents contact us about their children and their gaming problems.
Related: 15 Reasons Why People Play Video Games
You’ll need to talk to your child to find out more specifically what is causing your child to play Roblox so much. This information will provide invaluable insight into any of their unmet needs or underlying issues.
Tips to prepare for your conversation:
- Find the right time to ask these questions (ideally not during a gaming session)
- Convey genuine interest and curiosity
- No judgment! Remember, gamers often feel stigmatized and shamed
- Be an active listener and consider taking notes
Questions you can ask:
- What games do you play? What platforms do you play on?
- Which games do you like best? What is the difference between them?
- What do you like about them? (e.g., competition, social, exploration)
- How do they feel while they’re playing?
Step 2: Rebuild Your Relationship with Your Child
Gaming issues often lead to increased conflict between parent and child. To help your child stop gaming so much, you will need to rebuild rapport and trust.
As a parent, you need to be the person your child can trust and speak to about the problems they are experiencing. Although their gaming may be excessive, it is happening for specific reasons. Being a safe space for your children to be open about it will help a lot.
Yes, you might want to delete Roblox from your child’s computer, phone, or console, but this may only be a temporary fix. You’ll need to go deeper and address the underlying issues causing your child to resort to playing Roblox so much.
Is it because they experience bullying at school? Or it might be because they’re bored and they have nothing else to do? Or is it because their friends play the game, and your child needs to play it to stay “in” their group of friends?
Suppose you want to know how to improve your relationship with your gamer and get them to trust you. In that case, we have an excellent resource for families and parents called Reclaim.
Step 3: Create a Practical Plan
After you’ve identified the underlying problems behind your child’s Roblox addiction, it’s time to create a plan towards a better life for your child.
Your plan must be practical for your family and realistic for you to implement. Otherwise, your plan is doomed to fail from the start.
In this plan, you’ll need to cover the following:
- What are the “Targets of Change” you want to see? How will you know your plan is successful? Do you want improvements to their behavior and attitude? A greater focus on schoolwork? More help around the house?
- What support and resources do you have available? Who’s responsibility is it to monitor?
- Are you reducing problematic play or eliminating Roblox completely? What are the limits, and are you setting up parental controls?
- What replacement activities can you set up to help address the void created by not playing Roblox so much?
- Optional: Delete Roblox from all devices and set up restrictions in the Roblox account.
- Also, be aware and limit the use of platforms that might be encouraging your child to play Roblox or other games, such as Discord, YouTube, or Twitch.
The plan will depend on whether you want to stop your child from playing Roblox entirely or limit and reduce negative behaviors associated with it.
You must include your child’s perspective in the plan, as their involvement and participation will have a significant impact on whether your plan is successful or not. Sometimes parents forget to ask, “What do you think you need for this to work?”
The next step will also be to implement and stick to the plan. We encourage you to evaluate your plan every three weeks and make adjustments as needed. It may be emotionally draining at times, so make sure you also take care of yourself in the process.
We recommend including self-care habits such as mindfulness/ meditation, practicing gratitude, spending time in nature, regular exercise, creative hobbies, and positive self-talk and affirmations.
Step 4: Find Support!
Don’t be afraid to reach out to other people such as friends, family members and find communities online, such as the Game Quitters Parent Support Group.
You can also start working with a video game addiction therapist near you.
At Game Quitters, we’ve created a signature program for families to reduce gaming problems called Reclaim. Inside the program, you’ll learn how to implement the strategies we’ve talked about in this article in more detail and use proven methods that have worked with hundreds of other clients we’ve worked with before.