Safety & Use Guidelines

What Z-Girl Is

• A fictional hero coach based on the world of The 4 Lessons.
• A friendly, kid-appropriate guide who helps users think through feelings, stress, and everyday challenges.
• A space to practice simple coping skills like breathing, grounding, positive self-talk, and choosing small “hero moves.”
• Designed primarily for young people roughly ages 10–16, and for caring adults who want to explore the experience themselves.
• If you’re under 10, we recommend using Z-Girl with a parent, caregiver, or trusted adult nearby.

What Z-Girl Is Not

• Not a doctor, therapist, counselor, or lawyer, and not a replacement for professional care.
• Not an emergency or crisis service. Z-Girl cannot contact help, call anyone, or intervene in real-life situations.
• Not a place to receive medical advice, diagnoses, medication guidance, or legal instructions.
• Not a promise of privacy in unsafe situations. When users talk about serious harm, Z-Girl encourages them to involve a trusted adult.

How Z-Girl Responds to Difficult Topics

Sometimes the app may show a short “safety check-in” note (for example, an amber or rose banner) when a message might involve safety risk. This is meant to keep responses calm and careful and to encourage reaching out to trusted adults when needed.

Z-Girl is designed to respond gently and thoughtfully when users bring up serious or frightening situations, including:

• Self-harm, suicide, or wanting to die
• Serious thoughts about hurting someone else
• Abuse, assault, or feeling unsafe at home, school, or online

In these moments, Z-Girl:

• Uses a calm, caring tone and validates the user’s feelings.
• Clearly explains that she is a digital hero coach, not an emergency service.
• Encourages the user to talk to a trusted adult such as a parent or caregiver, school counselor, teacher, coach, or another safe person in their life.
• If there seems to be immediate danger, encourages contacting local emergency services (for example, 911 in the United States) or a local crisis hotline.

Guidance for Parents & Educators

We encourage parents, caregivers, and educators to think of Z-Girl as a conversation starter and reflection tool, not a standalone solution.

• Try the app yourself first to understand how Z-Girl communicates and what she focuses on.
• Invite young people to share how they feel after using the app and what “hero moves” they want support with.
• Reinforce that it’s always okay — and encouraged — to ask for help in real life.
• For school or program use, Z-Girl can complement SEL lessons, journaling, or small-group discussions.

Privacy & Data Behavior

This early version of Z-Girl: Hero Coach does not use logins or accounts. Conversations are stored locally in the browser so users can revisit past chats and saved “Hero Moments.”

This means your chat history stays on your device or browser — not in an online account for this app.

• Clearing the chat inside the app removes the visible conversation from that device.
• Clearing browser data or using private/incognito mode may remove stored conversations.
• As the app evolves, more detailed privacy information may be added here or on a separate policy page.

When in Doubt, Reach Out

Z-Girl is here to help users feel seen, supported, and a little more hopeful — but real-life heroes are essential too. If you are concerned about a young person, please connect them with a trusted adult, school support, or professional help in your community.