A new app-based social network from LEGO appears to be doing the extraordinary: providing a safe space for children online while winning plaudits from parents
Children under 13 have long been personae non grata on social networks. They’re prohibited from joining the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat by terms of service. Sure, some youths can easily lie about their ages, but what they see on those platforms isn’t intended for them.
Enter LEGO. The Danish toy and entertainment behemoth spent two years developing a social app that would appeal directly to pre-teens while passing muster with concerned parents and international regulators. The final result was LEGO Life, a social network open to everyone but designed primarily as a space for users under 13 to share their LEGO creations. No audio, full video (the site allows stop-motion), text-based communication or identifying usernames or images are allowed, and parents must consent early and often to whatever their child sees and does.
For its efforts, LEGO has won approval from parents and consumer groups since going live on January 31. But to better understand how the site operates, Marketing News spoke directly to James Lema, LEGO Life’s creative director.
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Zach Brooke is a former AMA staff writer turned freelance journalist. His work has been featured in Chicago magazine, Milwaukee Magazine, A.V. Club and VICE, among others. Follow him on Twitter @Zach_Brooke.