A recent Common Sense Media article titled "How Robux and Zipper Pulls Impact Kids' Online Privacy" written by Daniel Vargos Campos, dives into the dangers of financial interactions to children on the internet. The article highlights the following information:
Kids experience online buying surprisingly early. According to a survey by WebPurify, kids age 8 and younger spend an average of 2.48 hours per week shopping online.
Digital currencies are turning self-expression and belonging into a commodity. In their report "Buying to Belong," Fairplay for Kids outlines how gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite deliberately design features that link identity and peer acceptance to in-app purchases.
In the words of a 14-year-old gamer: "It's almost like class society … if you are just, like, someone who doesn't buy anything at all, you are generally at the lowest end. And then the people who have, like, the best items that everyone wants are like the highest."
Peer pressure and FOMO drive kids toward risky online behaviors. Despite being generally aware of online risks, kids are three times more likely to fall for scams than their parents, according to a report by TrustPlay. The most troubling finding from this report is the fact that a majority of gamers (65%) identified red flags and still proceeded to get scammed, highlighting how FOMO and social pressures can short-circuit good judgment.
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