This App Is Being Called 'TikTok For Kids' — Here's What To Know

If you’ve got a tween or teen, chances are they’re totally into TikTok. Or their friends are! Like my nine-year-old, who I actually just had a convo with last week about creating a TikTok account for.

On one hand, I’m excited that she’s learning new dances, because it’s something she loves to do. I’m also excited that she has friends again, who are helping her learn these new dances.

I remember being a kid, and not having cable, and feeling left out when my friends talked about what they watched over the weekend. I remember how that felt! And to be honest, it made me feel like left out. I never really got to make actual friends because it seemed like I never had anything to talk about.

So the little girl in me is “totes excited” for my own little girl, who gets to experience these cool things with her friends. (Also, does anyone even say “totes” anymore?)

At the same time, the mama bear in me is cringing at the thought of my daughter learning TikTok dances from her friends because God only knows what else she’s seeing.

We all know that social media can be … a lot, especially for kids. And some of these songs being used for TikTok dances are definitely not meant for kids. As much as I love her exploring, I’m not comfortable with her having unfettered access just yet. So the thought of an app that’s like TikTok but kid-friendly brings me great joy — and relief!

Here’s everything we know about the new app being hailed as “Tik Tok for kids” known as Zigazoo.

What is Zigazoo?

Zigazoo is an app for kids that allows them to post short-form videos, like TikToks or Instagram Reels, and share them with their friends.

How does Zigazoo work?

Much like TikTok, Zigazoo has “challenges.”

Kid celebs all around the world make challenges, and then your child, once they download the app and make an account, can “respond” to that challenge by making their own video.

Each Zigazoo kid celeb “creator” has their own channel, that your kids can follow.

Of course, Zigazoo is also partnering with brands to bring kids all kinds of new challenges. They recently partnered with MGM Studios to share challenges inspired by the new Addams Family movie!

So who created Zigazoo?

Parents! Yup, parents just like you, decided to create this app during the pandemic because they “didn’t like [their] options for secure and positive online learning experiences.”

Their mission is to “give children a safe and positive community where they can find joy, develop healthy online relationships, and aspire to their greatest potential”.

When was Zigazoo created?

Zigazoo was founded in 2020 to give parents and educators the tools they need to make screen-time healthier, smarter, guilt-free, and joyful for families around the world.

There’s even a Zigazoo Classroom!

Teachers can sign up their classes for Zigazoo Classrooms and assign challenges.

Zigazoo Classrooms gives teachers and pod leaders the tools to assign Zigazoo challenges and engage students in peer-to-peer video sharing. Teachers assign Zigazoo challenges or build their own, then students respond with short videos of their work and engage on a social media-style feed of endless learning fun.

Now here’s all the important stuff you’re probably also wondering about!

Zigazoo has a verified, secure sign-up process.

In order to sign up to use Zigazoo, you must get verified through either your phone number or single sign-on with Google, Apple or Facebook accounts. There is no random creation of accounts. In accordance with their terms and privacy policy, Zigazoo accounts must be created with a parent to ensure consent and safety.

Zigazoo also uses “human moderation” and user controls.

Zigazoo puts every single piece of feed content through a stringent human moderation process that reviews for:

Relevance to the prompt

Kid-friendliness, including language and all aspects of visual media

Personally identifiable information

To see a list of what their moderators review for, visit: look here.

Only videos that pass their school-friendly test are viewable.

Zigazoo also promises controlled, positive interactions.

Unlike TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, users only see videos that make it through Zigazoo’s stringent human moderation process and interact using positive-only emojis and stickers that promote healthy online relationships.

Hopefully this helps answer all your questions! But if you’re still a bit curious don’t worry!

Over the weekend, I’ll have my nine-year-old download the app, so we can both test it, and of course, once we do, I’ll come back to share our thoughts.

If you’re looking to test it out yourself, you can download the app.