Zift Advisory
TopBuzz is a media aggregate app that gathers trending videos, GIFs, and news stories for easy consumption. It is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. This app can be safe for teens with parental supervision due to the validity of news sources and the possibility of inappropriate content.
What is TopBuzz: Viral Videos & News?
TopBuzz is a media aggregate app, not unlike the news app built into iOS devices, that pulls trending videos and GIFs,top national and local news stories, and personalized picks based upon user preferences.
TopBuzz is free to download from both the App Store and Google Play, and does feature in-app advertisements.
Seeing the TopBuzz app through the lense of content creators, it’s important to note the the content being served on the app is meant to be clickable, or rather is purposely created clickbait.
From the article headlines to the video captions, users really can’t trust what they’re being served in the TopBuzz app.
So, while TopBuzz may be an excellent media aggregate for users interested in entertainment news and gossip or funny GIFs, it’s not an app to rely for serious news articles.
Is TopBuzz: Viral Videos & News safe for my kids?
Parents should be aware that apps like TopBuzz are what continue to perpetuate the cycle of “fake news” that abounds on the internet today.
And while the TopBuzz app purports to serve top news stories, the fact that they allow “publishers” of all types on the platform is enough to make one question the validity of any news stories being served through the app.
The TopBuzz app also seems to have multiple personalities, as it is a media aggregate, a publishing platform, as well as a quiz game. The initial concept behind TopBuzz was to create an app to allow content creators to publish and reach a wider audience.
On the flip side, TopBuzz also became a media aggregate, serving news stories to those using the app while using an algorithm to continue to serve TopBuzz users stories customized to their interests.
For parents of children who may have the desire to become content creators for the platform, it’s important to note that publishers relinquish many of the rights to their content when they publish through the platform.
In fact, some publishers have tried to cancel and delete their accounts along with the associated content produced and were met with an answer stating that the platform does not have the capability to delete accounts.
In addition, some publishers report having content, that they’ve published through TopBuzz, republished under the TopBuzz name.
Parents should not onlybe concerned about the credibility of the news stories that are being featured here but also the likelihood of content with mature themes and images.
This app is safe for teens but parents should discuss the validity of news sources as well as expectations of content consumed.
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