Kids flock to Roblox for parties and playdates during lockdown


Alice Wilkinson adds a face mask to her character on the game ‘Roblox’ at her home in Manchester, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Manchester, Britain. With many kids and teenagers stuck at home with little to do, Roblox’s usage has skyrocketed in recent weeks. It has become a destination for virtual playdates and parties. — Reuters

In early March, Robby Scianna was supposed to take 10 friends to an escape room to celebrate his 10th birthday. Then his school closed, and his home town of Campbell, California, went into lockdown due to the coronavirus. So Robby had a virtual birthday party in Roblox instead.

The invitees logged into Google Hangouts first, where they chatted and sang "Happy Birthday”. Then all the kids jumped into Roblox for an hour or so and played Epic Minigames, an array of competitions featuring things like pet penguins and dodgeball. Much laughter and giddiness ensued. "It would have been better if we were able to do a real birthday party, but a virtual birthday party was still pretty fun,” Robby said.

Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Tech News

Cosplay: Where innovation meets imagination
Microsoft hit with $242 million US verdict in Cortana patent lawsuit
After layoffs, Musk says Tesla to spend $500 million on charging network
Binance registers with India's financial watchdog as it seeks to resume operations
FBI working towards nabbing Scattered Spider hackers, official says
Crypto group with 440,000 members launches PAC to target House, Senate elections
TikTok to start labelling AI-generated content as technology becomes more universal
Hong Kong businesses embrace potential of silver economy with more services, tech for rising number of elderly
China carer devotes life to solitary elderly man for 12 years, gets five flats worth millions in thanks for efforts, wins plaudits online
Einstein and anime: Hong Kong university tests AI professors

Others Also Read