What does the 13 mean next to your name in Roblox?

Hey there! As an avid Roblox player and data analyst myself, I know the 13 designation next to a username is something that many new players wonder about when starting their Roblox adventure. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain everything you need to know about what it means to be 13+ on Roblox.

A Quick Intro to Roblox

For those new to Roblox, here‘s a quick overview:

Roblox is an online gaming platform where users can create their own games or play games made by others. The Roblox world is highly customizable – you can design your own 3D avatar character with tons of outfits and accessories. There are over 40 million user-created games on Roblox across every genre you can imagine – from restaurant tycoon simulators to virtual hangout spaces to PvP battle arenas.

As you can see in the infographic above, Roblox has become insanely popular over the years. It now boasts over 200 million monthly active users globally.

So why is Roblox so popular, especially among kids and teens? I think it comes down to a few key factors:

• Social experience – You can explore incredible virtual worlds and play games with friends.
• Imagination – Endless opportunities for creative expression by customizing your avatar.
• Variety – Tons of different game genres catering to diverse interests.
• Accessibility – Free to play and works on smartphones, tablets, consoles, and PC.

Now that you have a basic understanding of Roblox, let‘s dive into what that 13 by your username means!

The Significance of Turning 13 on Roblox

Reaching age 13 is an important milestone on Roblox because it unlocks a whole suite of expanded features. Here‘s an overview of everything you gain access to:

• Unfiltered chat – Can say any words/phrases without filters blocking them out.
• Private messaging – Can PM any player, not just friends.
• Developer Forum – Can participate in discussions on the Roblox Developer Forum.
• Trading system – Can buy, sell and trade limited edition items.
• Age-restricted games – Can enter games labeled 13+ or 18+.
• Bonus privileges – Special perks like earning virtual Robux currency and getting discounts.

So in summary – hitting 13 allows for more open communication, social engagement, and access to mature content. But why does Roblox make users wait until age 13 for these features?

The Reasoning Behind the Age 13 Threshold

There are a few factors that led Roblox to make age 13 the cutoff for gaining full functionality:

• COPPA compliance – The Child Online Privacy Protection Act sets 13 as the age for collecting personal data on users. Roblox requires birthdate verification to unlock chat, trading, and other features that involve collecting more user data.

• Safety concerns – Limiting communication and restricting inappropriate content for younger users reduces risks of bullying, predators, and exposure to mature themes.

• Maturity expectations – Age 13 is seen by online services and platforms as old enough to reasonably expect users can exercise good judgement in online conduct.

So in summary, Roblox chose age 13 to balance safety, compliance with data collection laws, and the cognitive/emotional maturity expected of teens vs. pre-teens. Of course, reaching 13 doesn‘t automatically make someone mature – but it‘s a reasonable threshold adopted across many online platforms.

Verifying Your Age to Get the 13+ Experience

Okay, let‘s say you actually are over 13 but your Roblox account still shows as under 13. How do you go about officially verifying your age and getting those 13+ features activated?

The process involves submitting government-issued ID:

1. Have a photo ID proving you are 13+ – driver‘s license, passport, etc. School IDs also work for teens.

2. On Roblox, go to Settings > Account Info > Verify Age.

3. Carefully follow the instructions to upload a photo of your ID, along with a selfie for facial recognition.

4. Wait up to 7 days for Roblox staff to manually review your age verification info and update your account age.

Once approved, you‘ll gain access to unfiltered chat, private messaging, trading privileges, the Developer Forum, and 13+ games.

However, some users report frustratingly long waits for verification review. My advice – be patient, triple check you uploaded clear ID photos, and keep pestering Roblox support to prioritize your request!

Parental Supervision for Younger Users

If you‘re a parent with kids under 13 on Roblox, you may be wondering how to keep them safe given all the communication and social features.

Don‘t worry – Roblox actually makes it easy to set parental controls and restrictions for accounts registered as under 13. Here are some key options to utilize under Settings > Privacy:

• Restricted chat mode – Limits who your child can chat with, like friends only.

• Chat filter – Automatically blocks inappropriate words and phrases.

• Private messaging disabled – Stops strangers from contacting your child.

• PIN protection – Secures settings changes with a 4-digit PIN.

• Supervising parent – Let‘s you monitor your child‘s chat logs and gameplay.

• Maximum screen time – Caps daily or weekly playtime.

With the right parental controls enabled, kids under 13 can safely enjoy Roblox‘s social worlds and games. Although as they grow older, they‘ll eagerly await hitting that 13 milestone for the expanded experience!

Gameplay Differences: Under 13 vs. 13+

Being 13+ on Roblox doesn‘t just unlock social features – it also opens up more possibilities in terms of gameplay opportunities.

For players under 13, Roblox automatically restricts search results and recommendations to games rated "All Ages" with mild cartoon violence at most.

But turn 13, and suddenly you can freely access a wider range of game genres and themes tailored for teenagers and older audiences. Here are some key examples:

So being 13+ really opens up new opportunities to find games matching your interests, many of which younger kids just aren‘t ready for yet in terms of horror elements, violence, and complex gameplay.

Beyond access to games, hitting 13 also unlocks privileges like earning virtual Robux currency and getting discounts – perks associated with the Roblox premium membership tiers.

The Makeup of Roblox Players: Ages & Demographics

To understand who exactly plays Roblox, let‘s examine some usage stats across age groups.

According to the Roblox Corporation‘s own research in mid-2021:

• 22% are under age 9
• 23% are between ages 9-12
• 18% are ages 13-16
• 17% are ages 17-24
• 17% are over age 25

So the majority are still under 13 – but a sizable segment are teenagers plus a not-insignificant adult player base!

Looking closer at the 13 to 16 segment, Roblox conducted a 2016 poll of 200K players in this age range which revealed:

• 52% are male, 45% female
• 36% live in the United States
• Over 100 countries represented overall
• 65% access Roblox on mobile as their primary device
• 3 hours per day average time spent playing

This data on 13 to 16 year old players shows Roblox appeals fairly evenly across genders but tilts American for usage. And it confirms the rise of mobile as the dominant way kids play games today.

How Roblox Age Ratings Compare to Other Games

To put Roblox‘s age recommendations in context, let‘s see how they compare with ratings for other popular games:

• Minecraft: Rated ages 10+ by ESRB
• Fortnite: Rated ages 12+ by PEGI
• Roblox: Rated ages 7+ by PEGI but suggests 13+
• Call of Duty/GTA: Rated ages 17+ or 18+ for intense violence

Roblox earned an "ages 7+" rating from the Pan European Game Information (PEGI) system based on the cartoonish visual style. However, the 13+ guidance reflects the open social dynamics of gameplay.

Minecraft and Fortnite similarly received 10+ and 12+ baseline ratings, then gave players additional communication options at 13+ to enable online interactions with peers.

So while younger kids can technically play Roblox, parents should consider the 13+ age recommendation when deciding at what age to allow full access to chat, messaging, trading etc given the risks.

Assessing Age-Appropriate Roblox Games for Your Child

Since all kinds of player-created games exist on Roblox for all ages, an important part of parenting is assessing which specific games are right for your child if they are under 13.

Here are 5 tips for choosing age-appropriate Roblox games:

1. Check the game‘s rating – Roblox labels all user-generated games as All Ages, 13+ Teen, or 18+ Adult based on themes and content. Favor All Ages games for younger kids.

2. Read game descriptions – This gives insight into themes and gameplay elements before launching a game. Avoid horror or war themes for sensitive kids.

3. Search "family friendly" games – Creators can tag their own games with Family Friendly if they are kid-safe experiences.

4. Preview games yourself first – Play new games with or without your child present to evaluate appropriateness.

5. Enable Restricted Mode – This filters Roblox search results to only show vetted, moderated games.

Taking the time to vet games helps avoid subjecting your child to scary or inappropriate content on Roblox.

How Roblox Polices Inappropriate Content

You may be wondering – just how effective is Roblox‘s moderation system at keeping mature content at bay for younger audiences?

Roblox states that ensuring a safe, civil platform is their top priority. They deploy extensive moderation tools:

• Automated text filtering – Blocks blacklisted words, names, and links in chat, profiles, and games.

• Human review – Staff review all images, audio files and 3D models uploaded to block policy violations.

• Age verification – Must be 13+ to publish games or upload assets to reduce risks.

• Proactive scanning – Automated scripts continually scan for inappropriate game content.

• 24/7 moderation – Live teams review user reports of misconduct and take swift action.

• Account suspensions – Temporary or permanent bans for policy violations.

• Game takedowns – Deleting user-generated games that slipped past filters.

Despite these safeguards, some unsuitable content still slips through given the sheer volume of daily uploads to Roblox. So continued parental monitoring is advised where possible.

The Appeal of Roblox for Teens and Adults

While often viewed as a kids game, Roblox has plenty to offer teenagers and adults too:

Teens are drawn to Roblox as:

• A place to hang out with friends online
• A creative outlet to learn game design
• A path to fame and fortune as developers
• An escape from stresses of school and life

Adults enjoy Roblox for:

• The creative challenge of building games
• Learning 3D modeling and programming skills
• Recapturing the fun spirit of gaming from their youth
• Bonding with their kids through shared gameplay

However, adult players in particular do report feeling awkward given most users are under 18. Some tips:

• Be respectful in chat to set a good example for younger players.
• Seek out specific adult fan groups to find older gamers to connect with.
• Disable chat features if uncomfortable engaging with minors.
• Favor complex games that appeal more to mature audiences.

While it takes some navigating social stigmas, plenty of adults find rewarding experiences on Roblox.

The Developmental Benefits of Roblox for Kids and Teens

Beyond just being fun, Roblox offers some great social learning benefits for kids and teens:

• Communication skills – Through chatting or private messaging with other players.

• Collaboration – By joining groups and cooperating to achieve shared goals.

• Exploring identity – Trying on different personas and avatars.

• Conflict resolution – Learning to navigate disputes constructively.

• Empathy – Relating to other players‘ perspectives.

• Leadership – Rising to trusted roles in Premium player groups.

• Creative confidence – Designing games builds self-expression.

So with the right parental guidance, Roblox can foster crucial real-world social skills.

The Key Takeaways on the 13+ Designation

Let‘s recap the key facts on what it means to be 13+ on Roblox:

• Unlocks unfiltered chat, messaging, trading items and the Developer Forum.
• Grants access to more mature game genres often not suitable for under 13.
• Reflects age data privacy laws and expectations of user maturity.
• Requires official age verification via government-issued ID.
• Allows participation in the Roblox economy by generating income from one‘s games.
• Opens up more social opportunities by connecting freely with other players.
• Balances safety for younger users with expanded freedoms for teenagers.

The 13+ designation is Roblox‘s attempt to cater its platform both to pre-teens just starting out, and to teenagers seeking deeper creative and social engagement.

Final Thoughts

Reaching 13 years old marks a major milestone on Roblox by unlocking meaningful social connections, creative potential, and economic opportunities within the platform. For those over 13 but still showing as underage, take the time to verify your age – it opens up incredible new possibilities in the Roblox metaverse. And for parents of users under 13, be sure to monitor your child‘s experiences closely for maximum enjoyment and safety.

Thanks for reading this deep dive on the meaning of 13+ on Roblox profiles. Stay safe, be kind to others, and most importantly – have fun!