Introducing ‘Syloverse,’ The Kid-Safe App Connecting Young Book Lovers Worldwide
JULY 12, 2022 – NEW YORK, NY – Ouraan, the members-only book club for the children of modern parents who aspire to better connections and deeper relationships, today unveiled the upcoming Syloverse app. Syloverse will provide secure, engaging environment for Ouraan’s community of book lovers to connect with their age-group peers about the things that inspire them—including the topics, characters and themes they’re reading together.
Children develop—and thrive—when they engage with their peers about the content they read, opening doors to connect in deeper, yet fun way over both new and exciting topics, and topics they come across in their day-to-day.
When approached with moderation and deliberate use, research shows that young readers can reap powerful benefits from using online platforms, such as Syloverse, to become a better digital citizen, a more curious scholar and a more worldly, empathetic young adult. Syloverse’s age-tiered and enriching environment empowers them to do so safely, asynchronously and within a dedicated, moderated environment.
By connecting through Syloverse, Ouraan readers can discuss, debate and delight in their commonalities, while also learning through conversation and camaraderie about different cultures, contexts and points of view. These conversations connect young readers to new avenues of social support, gamified learning, self-expression and the digital literacy skills they’ll need to navigate their futures.
Ouraan was founded by parents, for parents. “When we started, the idea was self-serving—to create a product that would help us connect with our kids in a deeper way through more meaningful conversations,” said Amina Akram, Ouraan’s Founder & CEO. “And, as parents ourselves, we know firsthand how hard it can be to balance our two jobs: keeping our children safe and preparing them to successfully navigate the world.”
“Syloverse is a continuation of our mission at Ouraan to help parents accomplish both,” added Andy Paradise, Ouraan’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer. “All while building deeper relationships through better conversation and shared interests.”
PARENTAL TRANSPARENCY & CROSS-COMMUNICATION
With the launch of Syloverse, Ouraan is providing more ways than ever for its members to connect, collaborate imaginatively and deepen their understanding of the world—all rooted in a shared love of reading.
Syloverse comes with parental transparency and communication tools built in, so that parents can allow their child the freedoms of expression and exploration—while also keeping them safe and accountable.
- AGE RESTRICTIONS: There is no cross-communication between age groups, which ensures that kids are not exposed to age-inappropriate content or context.
- APPROVED USERS ONLY: Only members with monthly Ouraan subscriptions are permitted on the platform, ensuring a high threshold of entry and additional peace of mind for parents. Additionally, Syloverse only allows small-group or private messaging functionality with parental permission.
- ADVERTISEMENT-FREE: Syloverse is a completely advertisement-free environment. Research has shown that digital advertisements are increasingly targeting children when they access the internet or use game-based apps—which can cause harm by increasing the likelihood of childhood obesity, hurt their self-image and even potentially lead to substance abuse.
- TOOLS FOR PARENTS: Parents of Ouraan members are given a shadow account on signup allowing them to stay in the loop on their child’s activity and adventures.
- AN OPEN-GRID: Open-forum style for open conversations – private groups only with parental permission and oversight.
Similar to Ouraan’s popular Page Gauge—parental guides included with each monthly book shipment to foster deeper conversations about the themes and characters explored—these features are not only designed to provide security and parental insight, but to enable opportunities for deeper connections and foundational, relationship-building conversations about responsible digital citizenship, approaching opposing viewpoints with empathy and what it means to be part of the internet-powered generation.
HUMAN CURATION for HUMAN STORIES
As working parents, Ouraan knows that it can be hard to find the time and the right topics to truly engage with our children on a deeper level. That’s why—rather than picking books based on celebrity partnerships, algorithms or industry buzz—Ouraan has a team of experts who curate each month’s book selections by hand to ensure they’re engaging, appropriate and impactful.
Additionally, Ouraan chooses stories and themes that best-serve both parent-child and child-peer relationship-building. Parental guides, conversation resources and guided activities accompany each month’s sustainable shipment to help families connect on deeper levels and build stronger bonds.
“Nurturing connections has always been at the center of all things Ouraan,” said Akram. “We’re deeply excited to be launching Syloverse and, with it, to be playing a small part in building new, global communities of future leaders that can learn from one another’s differences, rejoice over what we all have in common and foster lifelong friendships, empathy and fundamental skills.”
The Syloverse app is currently in beta testing and will be launched widely for all of Ouraan’s members during the upcoming back-to-school season.
To join the Ouraan community ahead of the Syloverse launch, families can sign up for the appropriate clubs (based on age group) here: https://www.ouraan.com/pages/choose-your-club.
About Ouraan
Ouraan is the members-only book club for children of modern parents who aspire to build deeper relationships and connect through meaningful conversations. The Ouraan community was created to empower and connect through reading by delivering age-appropriate, curated books and stories in a beautiful, sustainable package each month. Ourran aims to bring parents and children together and create better relationships through reading—with each other, with ideas, and with stories and cultures around the world. Learn more or join the community today by visiting www.ouraan.com.
Media Contact
Amanda Coyle, NextTech Communications