Zift Advisory
Cheez is an app for creating, sharing, and watching user-generated videos. Users can choose to create their own short videos, and use the editing tools, or simply browse the app, watching and commenting on posted videos. Cheez is free to download, features no advertisements or in-app purchases, but has inappropriate content not suitable for kids.
What is The Wonder Weeks?
Cheez is an app for creating, sharing, and watching user-generated videos. Users can choose to create their own short videos, and use the editing tools, or simply browse the app, watching and commenting on posted videos. Cheez is free to download and use, features no advertisements or in-app purchases, and is rated for users ages 17 years and older.
When Cheez users first download and open the app, they are prompted to create their account, using social media handles for either Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter or users can register via mobile phone number.
Once in the app, users can choose to scroll through the feed available on their home screen, which is a compilation of popular user-generated video clips (most of which are silly). Those looking to create their own video can tap the video camera icon front and center, which will then prompt the app to ask for permissions to access the mobile device’s camera, microphone and photo gallery. Users can then record a short clip and edit their video directly in the app.
The messaging icon, at the bottom of the screen, allows users to access their account stats, including followers, likes, comments and mentions. While users can like and comment on other user videos, parents should know that the Cheez app does not feature a direct message platform. Cheez does, however, have more account privacy features than other similar apps.
Cheez’s settings menu, in the upper right hand portion of the screen, features several options to enhance the user experience, particularly for those who wish to use the app with just a select group of people. Users have the ability to block other users from their account (and may view and also unblock them by navigating to their Block List), as well as the ability to restrict comments from their videos.
Is The Wonder Weeks safe for my kids?
Parents should know that Cheez is a social video sharing app, populated by user-generated content, and is open to users ages 13 years and older. The Cheez app is free to use and does not feature any in-app purchases or advertisements, which is a positive, but the possibility of inappropriate content makes this app unsafe for kids and only appropriate for mature teens.
Simply put, the Cheez app is one that requires a gateway to personal information for signup (be it through social media accounts or actual phone number), which is something parents may wish to think twice about. Parents should also be aware that the Cheez app asks for permissions for both sending notifications and allowing the app to access location data (it’s not clear why this is needed)
A feature most parents will appreciate is the account privacy selection, which allows users to set their accounts to private, requiring anyone who wishes to view their videos to send a request to follow.
Cheez is similar to the now defunct Vine platform, so parents can expect to have similar concerns. Because all of the content on the Cheez app is user-generated, there is a high chance for teens to encounter inappropriate content such as profanity, drug/alcohol/tobacco references, sexual innuendo and content. The app does not pre-screen any user-generated content, which is similar to many popular live video streaming apps.
Particularly important to note is that, per the Cheez app’s terms of use, users who upload their own content to the platform “waive any and all rights of privacy, publicity, or any other rights of a similar nature in connection with your User Content, or any portion thereof.” Given those terms, parents may wish to bypass the Cheez app altogether.
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