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Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

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Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#391

Post by port11 »

api wrote: post #59
geephroh wrote: post #46

If you haven't listened to the interview[1], it's is absolutely bananas. Baszucki might want to think about dialing back on the ketamine a bit. 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/21/podcasts/hardfork-roblox-...

I do legit wonder about K abuse in this whole crowd. Anyone hear any excerpts from Thiel’s Antichrist lectures? I’ve never been on the same page as him politically but this wasn’t “wow I really disagree” material. This was “are you… okay, man?” material. It was just askew and bizarre. I’m not a big Thunberg fan either but I cannot replicate the thought process that would lead to mentioning her as a potential Antichri…

I'm not sure they're on K, it's highly disabling and wears out super quick. Most of the things they say sound like microdosed synthetic amphetamines: you're still functioning quite well in terms of thought but all shame and empathy are gone (plus you think you're awesome and get irritated easily).

Source: used drugs extensively.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#392

Post by port11 »

“What people found noteworthy about our interview, I think, was the fresh evidence that our most successful tech CEOs really do think and talk this way. Given a chance to display empathy for the victims of crimes his platform enabled, or to convey regret about historical safety lapses, or even just to gesture at some sense of responsibility for the hundreds of millions of children who in various ways are depending on him, the CEO throws up his hands and asks: how long are you guys going to be going on about all this stuff?”

Hmm… okay, is it power that turns off your empathy nodes? Money? Were they always unempathetic? This is a genuine concern, because humans are literally wired for empathy with our kin, even if we consider tribal rivalries.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#393

Post by port11 »

jrm4 wrote: post #273

With regard to safety in tech: Nothing changes until bad leaders are punished. Nothing changes until bad leaders are punished. NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL BAD LEADERS ARE PUNISHED. I'm all ears as to how to get this going.

Severely fine companies with these problems. That internalises the risk rather than pushing it outwards. If a company risks bankruptcy, they'll be more careful.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#394

Post by parasubvert »

feydaykyn wrote: post #159
parasubvert wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbh making Roblox illegal feels like the same moral panic that our parents had around metal music, hip-hop, and arcades. My kid plays Roblox, I prevent her from talking to others, and I police the Robux purchases. It really is a fun platform. The problem is for parents that aren't technical, or are negligent and don't know how to police it.

Don't be so dismissive! In practice... - You cannot prevent your child to login and play at least 15mn (without manually resetting the password in the kid account) - combine this with the fact you cannot prevent changing the password reset email on the child account, and in practice you cannot prevent your child from using roblox - You cannot prevent gift card to be used - There's no way to trace gift cards usage at…

well sure I was a blue boxer, software pirate, talked to lots of creepy people on IRC, participated in online sexting, x.25 and tcp/ip network hacker, with a stack of stolen credit card numbers, and root access to a bunch of university labs ... when I was 13. that was 35 years ago. what were my parents supposed to do?

determined resourceful kids will do what they want. so long as I talk about the risks and dangers and put up a modicum of effort to police it, I'm fine if they figure out ways around it. some people have to learn the hard way.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#395

Post by parasubvert »

s1mplicissimus wrote: post #112
parasubvert wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbh making Roblox illegal feels like the same moral panic that our parents had around metal music, hip-hop, and arcades. My kid plays Roblox, I prevent her from talking to others, and I police the Robux purchases. It really is a fun platform. The problem is for parents that aren't technical, or are negligent and don't know how to police it.

I think parents (not fully unfoundedly) expect more of a playground experience from something advertised as a "game for children", so for them it follows that they should precisely not have to manually police it.

what's amusing about this is that I can't think of a playground irl that a parent wouldn't manually police these days.

letting kids roam entirely free is a remnant of the 80s and a bit of the 90s.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#396

Post by parasubvert »

AlecSchueler wrote: post #141
parasubvert wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbh making Roblox illegal feels like the same moral panic that our parents had around metal music, hip-hop, and arcades. My kid plays Roblox, I prevent her from talking to others, and I police the Robux purchases. It really is a fun platform. The problem is for parents that aren't technical, or are negligent and don't know how to police it.

> Tbh making Roblox illegal feels like the same moral panic that our parents had around metal music, hip-hop, and arcades. I feel like this argument has become a cliche in itself. Sometimes things are worth panicking about, and limiting access to things like cigarettes or gambling for children has been a real benefit to society. The same could be true for the dark patterns listed above.

No, nothing is worth panicking about. Panic is fear-driven. Fear is the mind killer.

Restrictions are fine, to a point. Making something entirely illegal to save the children is a moral panic induced reaction, in my experience.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#397

Post by ninalanyon »

Wolfenstein98k wrote: post #347
jasonfarnon wrote: post #289

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What countries do you have in mind?

All the listed countries have low fertility rates, increasing screentime rates, etc. I suspect if you cornered a parent of a 2yo in any of those countries, they would not say it is meaningfully more social and child-friendly TODAY that the USA is, or Australia (for which I can speak) is.

I'm a parent in Norway (though not of a two year old). Children really do have a great deal of freedom and the country is very child friendly and safe. But still online games are displacing physical outdoor play. However the majority of children attend barnehage (kindergarten) where there are no screens and outdoor play is strongly encouraged (and only lightly supervised) so at least for pre-school children there is still a lot of physical activity.

Re: Roblox is a problem but it's a symptom of something worse

#398

Post by quantified »

Ajedi32 wrote: post #31
quantified wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Parents understand that they cannot be the sole arbiter of everything for their children. Locking down your children's inputs is not fully realistic. If you remember being a child you remember circumventing your parents at every turn.

And so instead we should expect corporations to fill that role?

I'm not sure that's implied anywhere. There are many non-parental roles to be filled in society that should steer harm away feom children. Priests for example. Teachers and librarians, nurses, bus drivers, shopkeepers, and so on.
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