What parents need to know about PopJam
A fun photo sharing app complete with games, PopJam markets itself as an ‘Instagram for kids’; it's specifically designed for users 13 and under.
So how child-friendly is PopJam? Here's everything you need to know about the app.
What is Popjam?
PopJam is a community app for Android, iPad and iPhone, which allows you to create and share art and photos with other PopJammers, watch videos, take quizzes and play games.
An easy-to-use and safe community, PopJam encourages users to be creative by drawing pictures and customising them with stickers, text and colours, as well as posting photos and animations.
The quizzes are fun, teen-magazine type tests along the lines of ‘What kind of best friend are you?' and ‘Find out what flavour ice-cream you are’. There are daily drawing challenges and arcade style games.
Alongside normal PopJammers there are many official ‘verified’ channels for brands including Disney, Nintendo and Horrible Histories.
Why is it so popular?
What do parents need to be aware of?
Age restrictions
PopJam doesn’t set an age limit. There are no age verification checks.
The game is rated PEGI 3 which means that the content is suitable for all ages. The Apple App store rates it as 9+. PopJammers cannot share personal information or selfies and don’t use their real names.
Users are not allowed to chat privately. All posts are public and each and every one is moderated 24/7 all year round.
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Parental controls
There are no parental controls. But as the moderation on the site is so thorough and there are no private posts or conversations, there is little cause for concern.
PopJam encourages parents to be involved in their child's activity on the app. By visiting the profile tab, they'll be able to see every creation their child has posted, and the alerts tab will show you any mentions that other PopJammers have made.
Reporting and blocking functions
PopJammers can report users who make unpleasant comments to moderators. They can also block those who make such comments. To block a user, go to their profile and click 'block'.
Once you have blocked someone they won’t be able to search for you, comment on your posts or mention you. Blocking can't be undone, so remind children not to abuse the feature.
PopJam suggests that parents should email them with any other queries.
Spot something that doesn't look quite right? You can email librarian@parentzone.org.uk to submit comments and feedback.
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