I didn’t mean to imply that this kind of conflict between tech, parents and peer pressure would come up for every kid. It sounds like you’ve cultivated a healthy distance from tech for yours, and that this is something you shouldn’t have to worry about.

I was into gaming with my friend group, but back then it was split-screen and LAN parties. I still got plenty of outside time and physical activity. Our games didn’t focus solely on dark patterns and addictive elements - much less the possibility of encountering random adult weirdos.

There is a subset of kids whose parents do have to navigate this minefield, and Roblox is just one example. That’s not to let the parents off the hook entirely, but it’s entirely plausible to me that the corporations behind their kids’ favorite games may have been misleading about safety and even complicit in enabling this kind of abuse.