As social gaming platforms like Roblox and Fortnite surpass social media’s popularity among kids, our new report using focus group data from young players shows how the pervasive marketing of virtual goods in those games exposes children to harm.

Our report shows that platforms like Roblox and Fortnite aggressively promote virtual goods — including avatars, skins, pets, clothing and other items that players can purchase and use — pressuring kids to spend huge amounts of time and money on the games and exposing them to bullying, financial harm, and damage to their physical and mental health.