Voxbox - A playground for your kid’s imagination

The founders of the app MaPa Story, Aditya Jaishankar and Sunder Raman have launched an app named Voxbox . Here is the story of how they got inspired to launch Voxbox and evolve their journey to an even more enriching level .

The million-dollar question that most parents face is, “How do we keep children gainfully engaged?” This has become increasingly relevant in today’s times where kids are being wooed by a lot of meaningless stuff to keep them entertained across platforms and media .Based on solid consumer research Aditya Jaishankar and Sunder Raman had launched a platform called MaPa Story where kids could narrate stories in their own voice and share them with anyone anywhere in the world .

They were fascinated by how expressive kids were when they narrated stories and felt that probably there was an opportunity for a product beyond just storytelling, that could tap even further into a kid’s imagination and his /her need for expression.

They decided to have conversations with kids on what they really wanted .

Their conversations with kids across revealed that there was an ever increasing need for them to connect with other kids and indulge in collective interactive activities online .This need was getting amplified due to the isolating nature of the pandemic.

They were pleasantly surprised to find that kids were looking for a platform where they could connect with other kids .A platform where they could have a voice, express themselves about various topics and share their thoughts with other kids .

“I want to be heard , I have a voice” was a common refrain they heard across different kids

Based on these insights their team arrived at an idea of an audio based platform named Voxbox where every kid could have a voice and be heard. A platform where they could share their ideas, thoughts, experiences and stories with other kids across the country .

This is literally like a playground for their imagination as the kid has a wealth of diverse fun topics to choose from to let their imagination free says Jaishankar.

Fun engaging prompts are provided to kids under the broad categories

• Go on an adventure

• Relive an experience

• Share your thoughts

• Spark an Idea

• Explore a City

• Tell a Story

• Read the news

Giving kids a playground for their imagination was one aspect , but what doubled the excitement was giving kids across the country an opportunity to connect with each other by becoming a part of the Voxbox community .

The pillars of Voxbox that is the 3 C’s - Create connect and cheer is what makes the overall experience fun and fulfilling for the kid says Jaishankar

Create

VoxBox encourages children to use their imagination and record their own thoughts , ideas or experiences and post them on the Voxbox community

Connect

On Voxbox a community of kids are connected to one another breaking barriers of age, distance or class connecting them through common thoughts, ideas and experiences.

Cheer

Kids cheer other kids for their posts on the community . This serves as a constant encouragement and inspires them to further express themselves

Creating, appreciating, sharing an audio post are all given their due importance on Voxbox and add up cheer points which can be redeemed for more fun inspirational interactions and other rewards .

The team however realized that one of the biggest barriers is safety and security of a child in today’s big bad world online .

We are not just safe, but we are extra safe and careful as we are parents too and we are paranoid about our kid’s privacy says Jaishankar

How does Voxbox ensure complete safety and security

• The app doesn’t require real names or pictures of your child

• You don’t even have to specify their age, just choose from an age bracket

• Parental consent is always required before your child makes their audio recordings public/shares with the community

The app is both GDPR and COPA regulated which completes the safety protocols

The reason to limit the TG only up to age 12 was because as a parent led team, we value appropriate behaviour and want to be as cautious as possible that a kid is not exposed to any of the negativity that older kids are exposed to on social media says Jaishankar .

With a huge potential of 1.6 cr kids in India alone between the age of 6 to 12 who can access the app with their parents online, Voxbox will initially focus on the Indian market .It will then spread to other markets like South East Asia where parents and kids will be keen on exploring this .

The good news for parents is that the app will be available for free for the first 3 months .

The team has brought together a diverse set of people who believe in a common cause of creating a playground of imagination for children .A parent-led team comprising of a bunch of passionate people from diverse backgrounds definitely helps in building a more enriching community for kids.” says Jaishankar .

Each of the team members Saloni ,Shweta and Megha have their respective strengths ranging from content expertise to getting under the skin of the kid to arrive at rich insights that keep them ahead of the curve .

Industry experts like Rajeev Sharma and eminent lateral thinkers like Vinay Kanchan have lent their passion and expertise to ensure that Voxbox will meaningfully connect with kids and parents at every stage of the journey .

We hope this app will be a win win for both parents and kids and we continue to work relentlessly to expand the imagination of the kid with our pipeline of innovations says Jaishankar.

The app is now available in an android version on the google playstore and the ios version will be available soon.

The app can be downloaded on this link

https://bit.ly/3to5AQ5

(We got this information in a press release).