Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, has issued a strong warning against the popular online gaming platform Roblox, urging schools and parents to prohibit children from playing it due to concerns over violent content.
Speaking after a public event, Mu’ti said Roblox contains “extensive violence” that could have a damaging psychological impact on young players. “There is a lot of violence in that game,” he said. “Children often don’t realize that what they’re seeing isn’t real.”
He argued that many children are not developmentally equipped to distinguish between simulated and real-life actions, raising fears that violent behavior seen in video games may be mimicked in daily life. “Sometimes they imitate what they see. These violent elements in games can translate into real-world aggression,” Mu’ti explained.
He urged parents to take a more active role in educating and supervising their children’s gadget use to mitigate potential harm. “Digital literacy must start at home,” he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Affairs, Angga Raka Prabowo, echoed the concern, saying the government is monitoring platforms like Roblox as part of its broader effort to protect youth in the digital space.
“We want to shield our children from harmful influences in the online world,” Angga said at the Presidential Palace complex on Tuesday, August 5, as reported by Antara.
He emphasized that the government’s scrutiny applies not just to Roblox, but to all digital platforms, and the state must intervene where violations or threats are found.
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Roblox is a widely-used game platform that allows users which many of them are children to create and play interactive games. While the platform has educational potential, experts have warned of the risks it poses, including exposure to violent scenarios and unmonitored interaction with strangers.
Cybersecurity observers say that children are particularly vulnerable to inappropriate content and potential contact with adult users. Concerns have mounted in recent years, with parents reporting addiction, trauma-inducing content, and predatory behavior occurring through the platform’s in-game messaging systems.
According to The Guardian, Roblox Corporation acknowledged that child users may encounter harmful content and malicious actors. The company stated it is taking steps to address these issues, but stressed that broader industry cooperation and government oversight are critical to ensure online safety for minors.
(Raidi/Agung)
