Understanding Gaming: Family Toolkit

The Understanding Gaming: Family Toolkit is a guide for families and caregivers, created in partnership by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and Roblox, with input from youth leaders on Roblox's Teen Council for Civility and Well-Being and NAMLE's Youth Advisory Council. It is organized around three misconceptions that youth identified: that online friends are not real friends, that gaming does not provide worthwhile skills, and that gaming is for teenage boys. Each misconception section lists what youth hear from adults, what youth want adults to understand, conversation starters, and family activities. The guide states that its sections are not meant to speak for every young person or every family, and are meant to offer a starting point for conversation, reflection, and shared learning.

For the first misconception, the guide says youth want adults to recognize that online friendships can be real and meaningful, can help socially anxious youth feel a sense of belonging, and do not replace in-person relationships. It also states that online friendships require both trust and safety, and that youth acknowledge risks when connecting with people they do not know offline. On skills, youth report that games can build thinking skills, patience and resilience, and social skills. The guide also describes games that can simulate careers, which youth say helps them narrow down their own interests.

On gender, youth emphasize that girls and women are active players, creators, streamers, competitors and community members, and that one negative experience does not represent every gaming space. The guide's family activities include a friendship map, an adult participation exercise in which adults try games that the young person in their life enjoys, and a movie night featuring women in gaming.