Gen Alpha Rewrites Roblox: Gaming Meets Political Protest
Roblox has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2004. Created by David Baszucki and Erik Cassel and first released for Windows in 2006, this Silicon Valley-based gaming platform has grown into one of the biggest entertainment success stories of recent years (and David Baszuki being very curious character running his own charity with particular interests in metabolic health, democracy and astronomy).
Fast forward to 2024, and the numbers are mind-boggling. Roblox is pulling in 77.7 million daily active users, representing a 17% increase from the previous quarter. Roblox has been on an upward trajectory since the start of 2020, when the global COVID-19 pandemic led to a boom in digital entertainment.
But it’s not just about quantity — it’s about who’s playing. In the same quarter, 32 million daily active users were under the age of 13. Roblox’s particularly appealing to the younger new coming generation, Gen Alpha.
These kids aren’t just playing, they’re living in Roblox. A study found that Gen Alpha spends more time on video games than any other generation. They’re hanging out, chatting, and — surprise, surprise — staging protests.
Now, activism in games isn’t exactly new. Some of the most famous examples from the past are games made in 2017 — Paintball Hero tackling animal rights, and The Cat in the Hijab addressing discrimination. But what’s happening in Roblox is a whole different animal gaining way more traction than those two games can ever dream of.
So, why is Roblox becoming the new hotbed of pint-sized protesters? Is it the accessibility? The safety of virtual spaces? Or is Gen Alpha just more woke than we give them credit for? Let’s investigate.
Why does Roblox appeal to young activists?
Forget street marches, today’s young activists are rallying in a world of pixels. Take the Israel-Hamas conflict. While adults were glued to CNN, kids were gathering to hold virtual pro-Palestinian protests on Roblox. One protest area racked up over 275,000 visits. That’s a lot of politically-engaged avatars.
There’s an anti-communism movement protesting against recently rolled out game’s mode “Bloxburg.”
Even Eurovision got the Roblox treatment. When Dutch contestant Joost Klein got booted, fans didn’t just tweet their outrage. They took it to Roblox, demanding #JusticeforJoost in a virtual protest. Because nothing says “I’m mad about music” like blocky figures waving pixelated signs.
But why Roblox? What makes it the protest platform of choice for the juice box crowd?
🍿⚡️⚡️ Read the full article at Kill the DJ to find out!
