Roblox executive says children making money on the platform is “a gift”

In an interview with Eurogamer, Roblox’s studio head said the platform is life-changing for children who live in poverty.

By Gaby Del Valle, a policy reporter. Her past work has focused on immigration politics, border surveillance technologies, and the rise of the New Right.

1. Roblox, one of the most popular gaming platforms in the world, has taken a lot of heat from critics who accuse it of exploiting its users, the vast majority of whom are children and teenagers.
2. “You can say, ‘Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labor,’ right? Or you can say: we are offering people anywhere in the world the capability to get a job, and even like an income,” Corazza said. “So I can be like, 15 years old, in Indonesia, living in a slum, and then now with just a laptop, I can create something, make money, and then sustain my life.” (An unidentified Roblox PR person present during the interview told Eurogamer that most of the developers earning money on Roblox are 18 or older.)
3. Third-party developers on Roblox are paid in Robux, the platform’s in-game currency, which can be redeemed for cash. As Eurogamer notes, Roblox also sells Robux at a much higher price than it pays for them: a user can buy 1,000 Robux for $12.50 but can cash out 1,000 Robux for just $3.50. Users can also use Robux elsewhere on the internet — including online gambling websites, according to a lawsuit two parents filed against Roblox last August.
4. Roblox, for its part, has made recent overtures to legislators as part of a broader effort to prove it’s taking children’s safety seriously. “Obviously, everyone wants to keep kids safe,” Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki told The Verge’s Alex Heath. “It has been something we’ve always focused on. And so we wanted to be a resource for legislators as they start thinking about laws.”
5. Baszucki is now headed to Washington, DC, to meet with lawmakers about legislation that affects kids’ internet use — and that will affect Roblox as well.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator: Young developers on Roblox platform earning money and sustaining their lives through game creation (Target 8.5)

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Source: theverge.com

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