Look I'm not against gaming but these loot boxes and battle passes are basically slot machines for kids. My 11yo spent 40 bucks on Robux last month before I caught it. I've locked down the payment methods but how are you guys handling this? These games are specifically designed to extract money from kids and it makes me angry.
You're not wrong about the gambling mechanics. I coach youth soccer and see a lot of kids obsessed with these battle passes. Might be worth sitting down and explaining why you're limiting it, kids are actually pretty reasonable when you're honest.
40 bucks on Robux is wild. I've had to have some hard conversations about this stuff with my two. Setting spending limits and checking statements regularly has helped, but it's like playing whack-a-mole with these games.
You're absolutely right about this. I've been watching my kids with these games and the psychology is exactly the same as a slot machine. The randomness, the rewards, the FOMO when new skins drop. I started setting hard limits on screen time and what games they can play, and honestly it's made a huge difference in their behavior too.
This is a tough one because the kids genuinely enjoy playing with their friends. We've found a middle ground where they get limited access but we talk about WHY these games use these mechanics. Knowledge is power with this stuff.
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The battle pass thing gets me every time. My oldest thinks he NEEDS to keep up with the battle pass or he'll miss out. I finally had to sit down and explain that the game company is literally designing it to make him feel that way. Now we only allow one game with a battle pass and that's it.