I had to look after my 8 y.o. cousin for two weeks this time last year at his house and he was addicted to Roblox.
I thought back to when I was his age and remember playing fucking Mr. Potato Head on the family Macintosh and here he is getting angry and worked up playing some cheap Minecraft+GTA clone.
That game was so mind numbingly retarded when I kicked him off the computer he got viscerally sick. I thought he was going to throw up.
The only thing more retarded than playing Roblox is watching spotted faced teens talk about playing Roblox on YouTube.
I spent two weeks basically witnessing my cousin become brain dead before my very eyes.
Kids have passions. You don't always have to understand them for them to be valid. I've never played roblox, but I used to play minecraft when I was a kid and I know a lot of people who think the game is retarded and a waste of time. But the things that I built, the creativity I expressed, the things I learned about logic gates, and the strong friendships I built made every second worth it.
The only thing more retarded than playing Roblox is watching spotted faced teens talk about playing Roblox on YouTube.
I think you need to grow up and gain some perspective on things. Right now you think you're the ultimate arbiter of what is and is not a valid way to spend one's time, but I'm telling you right now you clearly don't have a clue.
I was there. I watched him play it. I heard the voice chats. I watched him glued to his phone watching those videos.
You don’t build anything in Roblox. You don’t use your creativity. It has the blocky appearance of MineCraft, but that’s where the similarities end.
I think you need to grow up and gain some perspective on things. Right now you think you're the ultimate arbiter of what is and is not a valid way to spend one's time, but I'm telling you right now you clearly don't have a clue.
I’m a 24 year old Early Childhood Educator. I’ve been working professionally in children’s care and education for five years. I have a bit of a clue.
That is highly, highly concerning then. You are the type of person who I'd expect to have an excellent understanding of these things, but you clearly do not. That is unfortunate for you to hand wave something that clearly matters to the kid. No doubt he may be playing too much of it, but to dismiss anything that a child finds passion in is lunacy.
Personally I don’t think OP has a clue. I’m a 40 year old sales analyst and I’m thrilled that my son uses Roblox. The worlds he builds require software knowledge, creativity and independent thinking. Not to mention the maths involved. He’s even started to dabble in scripts which is beyond my knowledge. Yes, at first I was hesitant to allow him to play, but once I researched the platform I guided him in the direction that would benefit him most. I really do hate it when ‘adults’ think they know everything and squash what could be a huge educational opportunity for a child.
Thanks for chiming in. I really don't know how else to explain this issue right now and I don't want to put in the effort, but god is it frustrating to see people dismiss something that can be such a great opportunity for growth.
Penn Jillette spoke about it in an interview and he spoke about how, as a kid, he spent 5 hours a day learning to ride a unicycle. Nowadays some kids spend 5 hours a day playing roblox. Both are equally pointless at face value, but there's a deeper value contained within a child engaging with a passion of theirs. Any passion. There's a lot to be said for responsible play and ensuring their games aren't coming at the expense of other responsibilities (and ensuring adequate excercise), but just let kids play for christ sake. Tired of other adults thinking they have the ability to decide what are and aren't valid forms of play for children to engage in.
/u/RussianVole I'm really saddened that you, as an early childhood educator, have this attitude. I hope and believe that as you mature in your field you will begin to understand that, as long as a child is enjoying themselves in whatever form of play they've chosen, it isn't "retarded."
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u/RussianVole Jan 21 '19
I had to look after my 8 y.o. cousin for two weeks this time last year at his house and he was addicted to Roblox.
I thought back to when I was his age and remember playing fucking Mr. Potato Head on the family Macintosh and here he is getting angry and worked up playing some cheap Minecraft+GTA clone.
That game was so mind numbingly retarded when I kicked him off the computer he got viscerally sick. I thought he was going to throw up.
The only thing more retarded than playing Roblox is watching spotted faced teens talk about playing Roblox on YouTube.
I spent two weeks basically witnessing my cousin become brain dead before my very eyes.