This blog post is part of my final project for my misinformation class. For this assignment, we were asked to create a media message that helps a specific audience understand how misinformation works and how to spot it in everyday life. The focus is not about fact-checking or arguing with false claims, but about showing people how misinformation tries to pull them in and giving them the tools to slow down and think critically. I wanted to create something that feels real, relatable, and useful, especially for younger audiences who are still learning how to manage life online.

I chose to focus on Robux scams targeting young Roblox players because it’s something I’ve seen up close in my own home. My daughter, who is thirteen, recently got her first phone and spends a lot of her free time playing Roblox with her friends. As she explores more of the online world, I’ve noticed she tends to click through pop-ups quickly without really stopping to read them. This worries me. Those flashy offers promising free Robux are often designed to steal login information or trick kids into giving away personal details. Watching her navigate these risks made me realize how easy it is for young users to get caught off guard, and how important it is to teach them how to spot these scams before they fall for one.

Target Audience & Persona

My target audience for this project is younger teens, mainly between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, who are active on Roblox and social platforms. To help shape this content, I created a persona named Maya Thompson, who represents this group. Maya is friendly, curious, and loves gaming and chatting with friends. She spends most of her screen time on apps like TikTok, Roblox, and Instagram Reels. Like many teens, she sometimes moves fast online without slowing down to spot risks. Flashy pop-ups, quick offers, and countdown timers easily grab her attention, which makes her and others like her perfect targets for scams. This age group is still learning how to balance fun with smart choices online. My goal is to help them slow down just enough to notice the red flags before they accidentally put their accounts or personal info in danger.

The Method

To reach this audience, I chose to create a short video as my main format, paired with this blog post to explain the creative process. The video features a peer-style AI avatar named Bella, who walks viewers through a common Robux scam step-by-step. She explains how scammers use tricks like countdown timers, urgent language, and fake links to pressure players into handing over personal information. The method I used to build this lesson is based on Pattern Recognition and Red Flag Spotting. Teens like Maya often move fast online, so showing them easy-to-spot patterns helps them recognize when something does not feel right. Bella highlights the most common warning signs so they know what to watch for next time. This method also ties closely to another skill they need, which is Lateral Reading. Once they spot a red flag, the next step is to stop and check the source. This could mean doing a quick search, visiting Roblox’s real website, or asking someone they trust to help figure out if the offer is real. By combining pattern recognition with lateral reading, the video encourages teens to pause, investigate, and avoid falling for these scams. The video ends with a simple and memorable rule they can use right away: Stop. Check. Tell. This catchphrase reminds them to pause, check for red flags, and talk to someone before clicking anything risky.

The Video

Scams like these work because they move fast. They pop up while players are busy and pressure them to act without thinking. That is exactly why this lesson matters. Teens like Maya, who are still learning how to manage their own devices, are more vulnerable to falling for quick tricks. By teaching them how to spot patterns and red flags, and then encouraging them to pause and verify, this project gives them a real-world skill they can use everywhere online. The “Stop. Check. Tell.” rule is simple on purpose. It’s short enough to remember and easy to share with friends. This is not just about avoiding Robux scams. It’s about helping them form safer habits every time they see something that feels too good to be true, whether they are gaming, scrolling, or chatting. Giving teens tools to think critically protects them now and builds habits that will help them navigate misinformation for years to come.

My Process

Creating the video was its own process and took careful planning to make sure the message came through in a way that felt natural and relatable. This was actually my first time trying something like this, so I was starting from ground zero with only about a week and a half to get it done. I had to learn as I went, and while I know there is always room to make it better with more time, I am proud of how it turned out given the deadline and challenges. I used a mix of AI and creative software to bring Bella, the avatar, to life and to make sure the final product looked and sounded smooth. Each tool played an important role, from animation and voice to music and editing. Putting all of these together allowed me to create something that feels fast and friendly, which is exactly how I wanted the message to come across for younger teens.

Here’s what I used to create the final video:

• Freepik AI Studio for designing Bella, the avatar.
• Kling 2.0 for animating Bella and creating movement.
• Eleven Labs for recording the voiceover.
• Sync.so to match the voiceover with Bella’s lip movements.
• Suno to generate background music that kept the video light and engaging.
• Adobe Audition to clean and edit the voice recording.
• Adobe After Effects to combine everything and animate the scenes.
• Adobe Media Encoder to export the final video smoothly and in the right format for sharing.

Using these tools together gave me full control over how the video looked and sounded. More importantly, it helped me create something that feels like the kind of content teens already watch, which makes the message about avoiding scams easier for them to connect with.