Image created with ZEPETO
What makes ZEPETO unique is the cuteness of its avatars. You can make detailed adjustments to make it look like your face, or make it a completely different character. In addition, there are plenty of hairstyles, clothes, and accessories. ZEPETO also has "ZEPETO Studio" where creators make and sell items, and you can get your favorite items from trendy items to niche designs.
Collaboration projects with famous brands are also available. Disney, for example, sells items themed after popular titles such as "The Little Mermaid" and "Winnie the Pooh." NIKE has items such as shirts and sneakers, and Ralph Lauren has aggressively entered the market by setting up Ralph Lauren shops in the world in addition to clothing. Dior offers make-up.
In South Korea, offices and companies to which K-POP artists belong have invested in NAVER Z, and there are many collaboration projects with K-POP. K-POP idols BLACKPINK and TWICE have released music videos using ZEPETO avatars.
Precautions when using by children
There are two major functions of ZEPETO. One is to create a cute avatar, make it pose and dance, save the image or video, or publish it on SNS. There is fun in drawing and changing clothes, and it is easy to understand why it is gaining popularity among young women.
The other is interaction with users in the world. You can interact with users you meet while playing in various worlds through chat, voice, and messages. Show off your proud avatar, or pretend to be an avatar character and have a conversation.
Both functions are sure to be fun, but there are points to be aware of when young people use them.
First, about item billing. Although ZEPETO is a free-to-play app, you need a special currency to purchase items. Many of the attractive items are for a fee, and I want shoes to match my clothes, I want to wear a hat, and so on.
Interacting with users can also meet bad adults. In November 2021, a man in Aichi Prefecture was arrested on suspicion of having a girl in the first grade of elementary school send naked photos using ZEPETO's message function. One female user said, "As soon as I connected with a girl I met in the world, I immediately received a message. There was also a boy who was listening to a young girl talking to herself. I was worried because she was so vulnerable."
ZEPETO can be used in Japan without any age restrictions. If you authenticate with LINE etc., you can create an account and enter the world even if you pretend to be 10 years old. Age restrictions and function restrictions may be added eventually, but I would like to be careful.
Billing can be prevented by setting filtering on your child's smartphone. When it comes to dating, promise not to interact with strangers and set your ZEPETO settings so that you can't receive messages. As for what parents should be aware of, "[For parents] Information about ZEPETO" will be helpful.
These problems are not unique to ZEPETO. I think many parents are careful about paying for games and meeting people on social media, but from now on, we need to keep an eye on the world of the Metaverse. Let adults take care of it so that future children can fully enjoy the possibilities of the virtual world.
Author: Tomoko Suzuki
Tomoko SuzukiIT journalist and smartphone safety advisor. She writes articles about familiar IT such as SNS and smartphones. He is familiar with teenage smartphone culture and even goes out to purikura with high school girls. His hobby is collecting weird and cute iPhone cases. He has authored more than 20 books, including "A book for parents and children to learn how to use smartphones and the Internet safely" (Gijutsuhyoronsha).
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