Aussie Kids Dive Deep into Roblox: Spending an Average of 139 Minutes Daily in Virtual Adventures

Children in Australia who engage with Roblox spend an average of 139 minutes daily on the app, which is also the gaming application most frequently restricted by parents, according to a recent industry report.

This revelation coincides with new documents indicating that the federal government omitted games from the ban on social media for those under 16 due to “overlapping regulatory issues.”

The report by parental control software company Qustodio monitored anonymized data regarding children’s app usage from 400,000 households across the US, UK, France, Spain, and Australia. This research included 19,000 households from Australia.

Roblox serves as a gaming platform that enables users to create their own games and engage with others, along with chatting through text and interacting within a virtual setting.

According to the research, Roblox ranked as the most popular gaming application for Australians aged 4 to 18, averaging 139 minutes of usage daily in 2024, surpassed only by the United States, which had an average of 152 minutes. It was also the most commonly restricted app among parents both in Australia and worldwide.

This figure represents an increase of seven minutes from 2023 statistics but a decrease of 38 minutes compared to the daily average in 2022.

Qustodio indicated that the high blocking rate could be a natural reaction from parents aiming to minimize screen time, but it also noted that “online chat, unsuitable content within games, and in-app purchases are significant concerns associated with Roblox.”

The mentioned figure is comparable to usage statistics released by customer experience management firm Genroe in August of the previous year.

Dr. Joanne Orlando, a researcher focused on digital wellbeing at Western Sydney University’s Institute for Culture and Society, remarked that her findings echoed the results of her research where Australian children under 13 were reported to spend about 2.6 hours daily on Roblox.

“I believe kids can go on there and potentially spend endless time because there are so many activities available, and that is undoubtedly appealing to them,” she stated. “They are socializing with their friends, depending on their age.

“It essentially serves as an attractive option for children.”

A study by the eSafety commissioner from last year illustrated that 33% of children dedicated between 6.5 and 12 hours weekly to online gaming, while another 33% exceeded 12 hours weekly. From those surveyed, 50% reported engaging with Roblox.

Roblox was approached for comments.

Gaming platforms are not included in the legislation prohibiting under-16s from social media, anticipated to take effect later this year. Documents disclosed under freedom of information (FoI) law to the transparency site Right to Know this week unveiled talking points from the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, related to the decision to omit games from the restrictions.

The communication points indicated that online gaming is appropriately governed by the current classification framework, and the government aimed to prevent regulatory duplication.

The federal government has experienced pressure to encompass applications such as Roblox in the prohibition. Activist organization Collective Shout submitted to the social media ban bill that Roblox should be included, claiming it “exposes children to grooming, explicit material, and highly abusive language” through the app’s social media features.

“We… maintain that age verification would diminish the potential risks to children and youth, especially when online gaming platforms like Roblox keep neglecting their obligations to ensure safety for younger users.”

Orlando pointed out that classifying Roblox as merely a game, despite the significant social networking activities occurring, is peculiar.

“It functions as a platform that hosts millions of children alongside numerous random adults. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that a massive social platform such as this will have inherent challenges.”

Towards the end of the previous year, Five Eyes security and enforcement agencies, including those in Australia, published an analysis that listed Roblox among other platforms flagged as potential “pathways” for extremists to impart radical ideologies to minors. “These platforms render violent extremism more accessible, as such content can be generated within the platforms themselves.”

In a distinct FoI document procured by Guardian Australia detailing meeting notes from discussions held prior to the enactment of the ban legislation, parents acknowledged the benefits of social media, including Roblox, despite their overwhelming support for an age limit on social media.

“Social media provides numerous advantages, such as maintaining contact and connections with friends, fostering a sense of identity, and serving as a regulatory tool for neurodivergent children (e.g., Roblox).”

The Qustodio report identified that among social media applications, TikTok was the most prevalent among Australian youth and children worldwide, averaging 117 minutes per day and 120 minutes per day, respectively. Instagram held the second spot in Australia with an average of 71 minutes a day.

Snapchat emerged as the leading messaging app, averaging 88 minutes daily in Australia, significantly surpassing the next most popular app, which was Discord, averaging 26 minutes a day.