Pediatricians urge families to check if their children play Roblox after observing harmful behavior in underage players.

The Spanish Society of Adolescent Medicine (SEMA) and the Health Promotion Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (CPS-AEP) have issued an alert to parents and guardians after detecting an increase in cases of children and adolescents presenting "worrying symptoms" related to the use of the Roblox video game platform, specifically due to its chat function and the interactions generated through it.

The alert indicates that children are coming to pediatric clinics with symptoms consistent with harmful exposure to the digital environment: self-harm, anxiety, sleep disturbances, sudden mood swings, or social withdrawal.

Serious risks to the integrity of children

Roblox is an online gaming platform very popular among minors. It allows users to play and develop their own games, and includes a chat feature that enables communication between players. Although it is unknown whether all the identified risks occur within the official Roblox environment or in external environments that simulate its design, the observed patterns of behavior justify concern about the use of this platform.

The president of SEMA and member of the CPS-AEP Digital Health group, Dr. María Angustias Salmerón, warns that pediatricians are detecting serious risks to the integrity of children and adolescents that directly impact their physical and mental health, "when they are encouraged in chats to self-harm, view pornography, question their sexual identity, or send images of child sexual violence or pornography."

Families have reported that their children exhibit visible self-harm , significant behavioral changes, anxiety, insomnia, social withdrawal, and unusual comments or attitudes about sexuality, identity, or violence. In this situation, experts emphasize the importance of proactively addressing these types of risks in consultation.

"Active monitoring , both clinically and at the family level, is essential to prevent psychological and physical harm in childhood and adolescence," the Digital Health group of the CSP-AEP and SEMA reminds us. Families are therefore asked to check whether their children use Roblox and whether they participate in chats within the platform, as well as to speak openly with minors about the risks of communicating with strangers.

Likewise, it is advisable to foster a trusting environment so they can express any discomfort or uncomfortable experiences and, if anything is suspected, consult a pediatrician. If a case is detected, it is recommended to file a report with the police or Civil Guard and report the situation to the Spanish Data Protection Agency, including screenshots of the chats.