BOZEMAN – Interest in social media tends to begin at a young age, and now one of the safest apps for kids is available in Bozeman.
Kudos and Company began in Norway and came to the U.S. in 2016 and one of its locations is located in Bozeman. It’s a free app where kids are able to post pictures and comment on each other’s posts. There is no private chatting in the app.
“It was really created to center on providing this safe environment for kids to share.," said Director of Content Moderation and Customer Support Eric Peace. "It’s global, all over the world. They can share with other kids in other places and things like that. One of the most unique things about our application is that unlike Instagram, Snapchat or other apps we have 24/7 moderation which happens here in Bozeman, so we see everything that comes through the app.”
The moderators are able to take down anything inappropriate or content such as a child’s location that shouldn’t be shared on social media.
“The best part about the app, which is really going to change the world, is the fact that we educate them. We tell them what they did wrong so that they don’t do it again,” Peace said.
Only children ages eight to 13 and their parents are allowed to use this app and parents are actually encouraged to be involved so they can see what their child is posting.
“People are excited to have an option for their kids. One of the things that they’ve found is that there’s no way around social media now. It’s a part of our culture and it’s a tool that kids use to communicate and share,” said Kudos Moderator Maria Munro-Schuster.
“We have some really incredible users. These kids are brilliant, they’re bright, and they’re smart. They get in there and they have little chats back and forth,” Peace said.
Kudos is hoping in the future to partner with nonprofit organizations in the community to create accounts for kids to follow.
