Commentary: When screen use is disallowed in school, teens need better conversations about it at home

Parents don’t need to spend hours playing games or binge-watching content from controversial creators to understand their appeal. What matters is gaining enough insight into why these experiences resonate with kids.

For instance, if parents think of Roblox simply as a “game”, they may miss the point – children often see it as a platform for socialising and expressing creativity, not just a challenge to beat or level up. A quick way to learn is by watching gameplay clips on YouTube to get a sense of what the games involve. The same approach works for creators: Parents can do a quick search and sample a few videos to review the tone and content themselves.

Understanding why games or media content appeal to teens gives parents a strong foundation for meaningful conversations, before moving on to deeper topics like respect and critical thinking. This matters because even if parents review a game’s early levels, new modes or updates can introduce inappropriate content.