I'm in the middle of figuring this out right now with my 10- and 8-year-old and the gaming systems they're on, which seems like all the time. Online games are social networks with a game attached. When you're in a rush, it's tempting to just approve the game. Wait. Stop and set the parental controls. I'm guilty of approving and moving on myself. Before your child plays, turn on the parental controls inside each game and limit chat, either all chat or to friends they know in real life. Block purchases or require your approval for every one, and teach one rule above all: anyone, even someone they know from school, who offers free game currency, asks for personal information, or wants to move the chat to another app needs to be blocked, now! Tell a parent.
Games like Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft are where a lot of kids spend their free time with friends. Most of the risks aren't in the game itself. They're in three features built around it: chat, strangers and buying.
1. Check the rating, and read the fine print
The ESRB rating (E, E10+, T, M) describes the game's own content. It doesn't cover what other players say or do online. Look just below the rating for extra notices such as "In-Game Purchases" or "Users Interact." Those tell you the game has spending and contact with other players, which is where your settings matter most.
2. Set controls at the device level first
Start with the console, tablet or computer, because those settings apply to every game on it. Xbox's Family Settings app, for example, lets parents set play-time limits, filter games by age rating, require an "Ask a Parent" approval for purchases, and choose whether a child can play multiplayer, add friends or chat, and with whom. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch have similar family apps, and phones and tablets have Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link. Then check the settings inside each game, since many games have their own.
3. Know the rules of the games your kids play
Roblox
Since January 2026, Roblox has required an age check before players can use chat. Players are placed in age groups (under 9, 9–12, 13–15, 16–17, 18–20 and 21+) and can chat with their own group and the groups directly above and below it. Chat is off by default for children under 9 unless a parent consents (Roblox announcement). Key point: a 12-year-old can still chat with 13- to 15-year-olds. Link your own account as a parent to manage chat, spending and screen time from your phone.
Fortnite and other Epic Games
Players who say they're under 13 get a "cabined" account. Voice and text chat and real-money purchases stay off until a parent gives consent through Epic's parental controls (Epic Games). That protection only works if your child enters their REAL age, so set the account up together.
4. Chat and strangers
- Younger kids: turn voice chat off. Text chat, if allowed, should be friends-only.
- "Friends" means people they know in real life. Go through the friend list together now and then.
- Teach the red flags now. Talk to your kids about it! Someone who offers free Robux or V-Bucks or rare items, asks for their age, school, photos or phone number, says "don't tell your parents," or wants to move to Discord, Snapchat or another app.
- Block, report, tell. Show your child where the block and report buttons are in each game, and ask them to take a screenshot first if something upsetting happens.
5. In-game purchases
Games sell virtual currency (Robux, V-Bucks, Minecoins) that hides what things really cost, plus "loot boxes" and surprise packs that work like a slot machine. It's easy for a child to spend real money, or be tricked into spending it, without realizing it. In 2022 the Federal Trade Commission alleged that Fortnite's design made accidental purchases easy, citing more than a million complaints about unwanted charges, and Epic agreed to pay $245 million, mostly for refunds (FTC).
- Remove saved credit cards from consoles and game accounts, or require a PIN or parent approval for every purchase.
- Use gift cards or a set allowance as a budget. When it's gone, it's gone.
- Explain that the currency is real money. Look up the store price together so your child knows what 1,000 Robux or V-Bucks actually cost. Spend the time talking to your kids about it. It's your money and their future.
- If an accidental purchase happens, request a refund right away through the store or platform. The sooner, the better.
6. Scams inside games
The most common gaming scams target kids directly: "free Robux" or "V-Bucks generator" websites, fake trading offers, and messages that ask for a login to "give you a prize." All of them are after the account. Teach kids that nobody gives away free game currency, never to type their password anywhere except the game's real login screen, and never to share it with friends. Turn on two-factor authentication for game accounts, with the codes going to a parent's phone.
7. Be the kind of player you want to play with
Gaming has its own culture of trash talk, and it can slide into bullying fast. Talk about what's teasing and what's cruel, and about leaving a game or server that makes them feel bad. Games are more fun, and safer, in kind communities.
Rules for gaming
- We set up every new game together.
- Friends online are friends in real life, people you actually know!
- No purchases. You'll get asked and begged, but stick to the rule.
- Nobody gives away free money or game currency. It's always a SCAM.
- If someone makes you uncomfortable or seems weird, even a little, tell me! You won't be in trouble for telling.
- Gaming happens in shared rooms: no bedrooms, not right before bed, and it's always out in the open. No secrets.