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Check your kid’s phone for this app now
Briana from Houston is like so many moms I know. She’s busy, loving and doing everything she can to raise smart, safe kids in a digital world that changes faster than you can hit “update.”
She told me that when her 12-year-old daughter asked to download an app called Zepeto, it seemed harmless enough. Create a cute avatar. Dress it up. Play games. Chat with friends.
A digital Barbie? Not even close
Zepeto carries a 12+ age rating, the kind of label that gives parents a false sense of security. Briana trusted it. Why wouldn’t she? That rating implies it’s safe and age-appropriate.
Narrator voice: It was not harmless.
Within days, her daughter was receiving explicit messages from a stranger pretending to be a teenager.
He asked: What do you like to do? Do your parents check your phone? Have you ever had sex?
That’s not harmless chat. That’s grooming. And it was happening right under her mom’s nose inside what looked like a sweet, sparkly avatar world.
Mash-up of Roblox, Snapchat and The Sims
Zepeto, developed in South Korea, is a metaverse-style app where kids create 3D avatars, explore virtual spaces and chat with others. It has bright colors, customizable outfits, dance moves and digital selfies.
But behind the filters and fashion lies a darker reality.
Apps like Zepeto are wide open to abuse:
- Predators posing as kids
- Sexually suggestive content in public chat rooms
- Unmoderated DMs that can turn dangerous fast
- Rampant cyberbullying and no real guardrails
And that age rating? It’s not a safety badge. It’s a legal disclaimer.
“12+” doesn’t mean safe for 12-year-olds. It means, “Use at your own risk.”
Apps aren’t built for safety
They’re built to keep users engaged. The longer kids stay in the app, the more vulnerable they become if no one is paying attention. And somewhere out there, a creep is counting on us not noticing.
If your child is using Zepeto or any app that allows chatting with strangers, here’s what to do right now:
- Check who they’re chatting with and what’s being said.
- Review privacy settings and turn off anything that allows unsolicited contact.
- Disable location sharing. It’s never needed in these apps.
- Most importantly, talk to your kids. Not just about what’s fun but what feels weird, inappropriate or just off.
This isn’t about panic. It’s about digital self-defense. Briana’s story is a wake-up call. If something that looks as innocent as an avatar app can become a predator’s playground, stop assuming every 12+ app is truly kid-friendly.
As parents, we can’t rely on the app store to do the vetting for us. We have to be the watchdogs. Because once that door is open, it’s almost impossible to close it again.
If you haven’t already, have the kids in your family sign my free tech contract. Post on the fridge as a reminder that using phones, apps and the internet is a privilege, not a rite of passage.
🧑🧑🧒 Know anyone with tweens? Hit that share button below now to spread the word via email or your social media. Together, we truly can make a difference.
Tags: digital world, internet, security, settings, spread
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