Should kids 3-12 years old have a dedicated social media app?

We talk about the three leaders in this market Zigazzo, PopJam and Club Penguin.

If not for the tiny voices and faces, you might think you’ve fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole. But this is the world of Zigazoo, a social media app for kids ages three to 12.

The short-form video platform launched last summer it lets kids browse or participate in 30-second video challenges or activities created by zoos, museums, teachers, musicians and TV studios. The app requires an adult over the age of 18 to sign up via a Facebook, Google (GOOG) or Apple (AAPL) account. Parents can then decide if they want their child’s videos to be seen on the Zigazoo feed or set to private.

We have hybrid apps also like Disney’s Club Penguin app that is as family friendly as you would expect a Disney app to be –providing a virtual realm where kids visit different ‘islands’, filled with games and chat rooms to interact with their friends.

The social media app for kids features parental controls that include time limits for usage and a ‘safe chat’ mode, where children select from pre-formatted messages rather than freely typing. Parents can also report inappropriate language used if the free chat option is used instead.

PopJam

PopJam is a creativity/social media app where kids (including kids under 13) can post content and connect with other users. Kids can create and post drawings, use stickers, animations, and images (so long as they’re not identifiable in the images), take quizzes, play games, and more. It’s been called “Instagram for kids” because kids can have followers who view and comment on their posts, and they can follow and comment on other users’ posted content.

The app uses moderators and limits posts to the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. The app’s parents’ portal is also very robust.