The CEO of Roblox says that the virtual environment and gaming platform will “some day” have a dating function for users, and that this will help people who are scared to go on “real-life” dates.
David Baszucki told the TechStuff podcast that the dating function would be for users verified as aged 21 or over, to “help loneliness and bring connection”.
Roblox has become hugely popular in recent years, particularly among children. The platform allows user-created games, and the game Grow A Garden has proved a recent global hit. Steal A Brainrot, another Roblox game, has become massive among child gamers.
However, there have been claims that Roblox has exposed children to grooming, porn and violent content. The reports prompted Roblox to introduce tighter parental controls.
Baszucki said: “I think there’s a loneliness epidemic going on in the world… I’ll go out on a limb and I’ll say for, in quotes, ’21 and up, ID verified, opted-in [users]’ some day we’ll have dating on Roblox and I think a lot of people who might be afraid to go on a real-life date might find it easier to have a virtual date to start and then, if they connect, move to the physical world.”
He added that Roblox could be a “platform to help loneliness and bring connection.”
Many parents would argue that “more connection” is the last thing that Roblox should be looking to provide. The platform has been sued over allegations that it has facilitated child exploitation.
Baszucki says the platform could be a force for good among the young. He was clear that any Roblox dating function would be for ID-verified adults, but said that the platform’s social functions could benefit all.
“Young people who have gotten disconnected at school, young people who are going through a mental health crisis, young people who are going through something,” he said.
He added that children were “finding people on Roblox to connect with… it sounds gratuitous for me to say it but parents say, ‘My kid is alive because they found people on Roblox’.”
Recently Roblox introduced age estimation technology, to allow those aged 13 and over to have fewer restricted chats on the platform.
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