Lego Life

Last updated
Lego Life
Lego Life app logo.png
Type of site
Social media
URL www.lego.com/en-gb/life

Lego Life was the name for a social media app and magazine, both produced by The Lego Group.

Contents

App

Development and launch

According to Lego, the idea for Lego Life originated in monitoring how children shared their Lego builds in LEGO Club Magazine's "Cool Creations" section and posted their creations on the company's message boards. Lego Life was developed to transfer this desire to share creations into an online environment. [1] [2] [3]

The app was released for Android and iOS on 31 January 2017. It was initially launched in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. Lego then officially announced that it will be replaced on August 15, 2024, by LEGO Play. This event has sparked numerous posts with the hashtag; #saveLL. Their efforts may of affected the original close date: July 5th, which was moved to the current one.[ citation needed ]

Usage

Lego Life aimed to offer an online version of the physical Lego product. A company named Crisp conducted content moderation for uploaded images before they were published on the site. [4] The app did not offer in-app purchases, however ads for Lego were present within it. [5] If parental consent was obtained, the app unlocked features such as commenting with free text instead of the emoticons offered by default. [6] [ non-primary source needed ]

Lego Life was used by approximately 9 million children around the world, across 78 countries. [7]

Reception

SAFE.BecauseFamily.org praised the concepts and challenges presented to children, but criticised the merchandising and advertising aspect of the app. [8] Similarly, Common Sense Media praised the child safety functions within the app but also noted that "there's no escape from the commercial nature of this experience". [9]

Magazine

The Lego Life magazine was a quarterly publication that promoted use of Lego products. It was aimed at children between the ages of five and thirteen. Launched in 2017 as the replacement for the Lego Club Magazine , it was produced in hard copy and digital versions. [10] In November 2024 the name was changed to simply Lego Magazine. [11]

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2018 Webby Awards Mobile Sites and Apps: Family and KidsWon [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Children's Online Privacy Protection Act</span> 2000 American federal cyber law

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA) is a United States federal law, located at 15 U.S.C. §§ 65016506.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parental controls</span> Software feature allowing content filtering

Parental controls are features which may be included in digital television services, computers and video games, mobile devices and software that allow parents to restrict the access of content to their children. These controls were created to assist parents in their ability to restrict certain content viewable by their children. This may be content they deem inappropriate for their age, maturity level or feel is aimed more at an adult audience. Parental controls fall into roughly four categories: content filters, which limit access to age inappropriate content; usage controls, which constrain the usage of these devices such as placing time-limits on usage or forbidding certain types of usage; computer usage management tools, which enforces the use of certain software; and monitoring, which can track location and activity when using the devices.

ScuttlePad was a social network launched in August 2010 for children aged 6–11 years old. Users can add friends, upload photos and update statuses through pre-defined word lists. It is a self-funded venture established in Utah.

Kik Messenger, commonly called Kik, is a freeware instant messaging mobile app from the Canadian company Kik Interactive, available on iOS and Android operating systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common Sense Media</span> American nonprofit organization

Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. It also funds research on the role of media in the lives of children and advocates publicly for child-friendly policies and laws regarding media.

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Since the 2000s, it has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and adolescents, due to young people's increased use of social media. Related issues include online harassment and trolling. In 2015, according to cyberbullying statistics from the i–Safe Foundation, over half of adolescents and teens had been bullied online, and about the same number had engaged in cyberbullying. Both the bully and the victim are negatively affected, and the intensity, duration, and frequency of bullying are three aspects that increase the negative effects on both of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinterest</span> American social media platform

Pinterest is an American social media service for publishing and discovery of information in the form of pinboards. This includes recipes, home, style, motivation, and inspiration on the Internet using image sharing. Pinterest, Inc. was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp, and is headquartered in San Francisco.

Everloop was an online social media site specifically made for children ages 8–13.

ASKfm is a Latvian question and answer network launched in June 2010 as a competitor to Formspring. After registration, the user fills out their profile and can ask questions, reply on their profile, create photo polls. Also from 2021, app users can communicate anonymously or openly in public chats or tête-à-tête in private chats. The platform had 300 million registered users as of November 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cybersmile Foundation</span> Anti-cyberbullying organization

The Cybersmile Foundation is an international nonprofit organization committed to tackling all forms of cyberbullying and digital abuse. They promote kindness, diversity, and inclusion through professional support services, education programs, awareness campaigns and corporate partnerships.

Whisper is a proprietary mobile app available without charge. It is a form of anonymous social media, allowing users to post and share photo and video messages anonymously, although this claim has been challenged with privacy concerns over Whisper's handling of user data. The postings, called "whispers", consist of text superimposed over an image, and the background imagery is either automatically retrieved from Whisper's search engine or uploaded by the user. The app, launched in March 2012, is the main product of the media company WhisperText LLC, which was co-founded by CEO Michael Heyward, the son of the entertainment executive Andy Heyward, and Brad Brooks, who is the CEO of mobile messaging service TigerText. Since 2015, the service has sought to become more of a brand advertising platform, with promotional partnerships with Netflix, NBCUniversal, Disney, HBO, and MTV. According to TechCrunch, as of March 2017, Whisper has a total of 17 billion monthly pageviews on its mobile and desktop websites, social channels and publisher network, with 250 million monthly users across 187 countries. It is owned by MediaLab. In October 2022, Whisper was removed from the Apple App Store, and was added to the App Store again but was removed in 2023 again temporarily, but was recently restored to iOS in March of 2024. Whisper was again removed from the IOS App store and as off October 2024 is still not listed as an app. In September 2024 the app was removed from the Google Play Store and no longer works on Android devices. Whisper never made a statement about the removal of support for Android.

Anonymous social media is a subcategory of social media wherein the main social function is to share and interact around content and information anonymously on mobile and web-based platforms. Another key aspect of anonymous social media is that content or information posted is not connected with particular online identities or profiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">23snaps</span> Social network and photo sharing service

23snaps Ltd.is a free, private social network and photos, videos, measurements and stories of their children to a digital journal and privately share those updates with other family members or close friends. 23snaps is available online and on mobile devices and launched 1 June 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Matters</span> British Internet safety organization

Internet Matters is a not-for-profit organisation based in London, England. Launched in May 2014 by the United Kingdom's largest internet service providers BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, the organisation offers child internet safety advice to parents, careers and professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yubo</span> French social networking app

Yubo is a French social networking app developed by TWELVE APP in 2015. It is designed to "meet new people" and "create a sense of community". The app had 60 million users as of 2022.

Houseparty was a social networking service that enabled group video chatting through mobile and desktop apps. Users received a notification when friends are online and available to group video chat. On average, users spent more than 60 minutes per conversation on the app in group or one-on-one chats. It was launched by Life on Air, Inc. in 2016 and was available on iOS, Android mobile devices, macOS and Google Chrome. Sima Sistani is the company's chief executive officer and co-founder. Epic Games announced the decision to discontinue Houseparty on September 9, 2021 and removed it from the app stores on the same day. It continued to function for users who had already downloaded it until October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft 365</span> Subscription services offered by Microsoft

Microsoft 365 is a product family of productivity software, collaboration and cloud-based services owned by Microsoft. It encompasses online services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, programs formerly marketed under the name Microsoft Office, enterprise products and services associated with these products such as Exchange Server, SharePoint, and Viva Engage. Microsoft 365 also covers subscription plans encompassing these products, including those that include subscription-based licenses to desktop and mobile software, and hosted email and intranet services.

The BBC Own It is a British information site designed to protect and support children using the Internet. While the BBC Own It app has been retired, the Own It website still provides online safety advice to children, parents and teachers.

Peanut, a product of Peanut App Ltd. is an online community for women who are planning to become pregnant, women who are pregnant, women who have had children, and women who are experiencing menopause. Profiles of potential friends are displayed to users who can swipe up to show intent to connect. Users can also connect via discussion threads, groups, and live audio conversations. The app allows users to select their stage of life, to meet women at a similar life stage, and to discover relevant content.

References

  1. Perez, Sarah (31 January 2017). "LEGO Life is a new social network where kids can share their creations". Tech Crunch. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  2. "LEGO Life launches quiz challenges to promote online safety for children". Lego.com. 7 February 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  3. "The LEGO Group launches new range of activities to help the whole family feel empowered to act against cyberbullying". Lego.com. 16 November 2020. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  4. "Lego Life social network looks amazing but is it safe?". Guiding Tech. 31 January 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  5. Anderson, Jenny (31 January 2017). "Lego is starting a "safe" social network for children". Quartz. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  6. "Verified Parental Consent - Lego Life". Lego. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. "LEGO announces new activities to teach kids about cyberbullying". The Financial. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  8. "LEGO Life is a Social Network for Your Masterbuilder". SAFE.BecauseFamily.org. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  9. Matte, Christy. "LEGO Life - Create, share & discover". Common Sense Media. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  10. "LEGO Life magazine offers completely free subscriptions". Brick Fanatics. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  11. "LEGO® Magazine - FAQ". LEGO® Magazine. 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  12. "LEGO Life wins Webby Award and Webby People's Voice Award". Lego.com. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2020.