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.”
• Z-Girl Youth is designed for young people roughly ages 10–17. Z-Girl Open also includes separate reflection paths for adults, families, and guided groups.
• 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

Z-Girl Open v2.2 does not require logins or accounts. The structured reflection tool keeps answers in the current page unless a user chooses to save a draft in that browser. Journey progress is saved in the browser so a user can return to it.

The optional AI Coach works differently: messages must be sent to the application server and its AI provider to generate a reply. Users should not include full names, addresses, school names, or other identifying details.

• Clearing a reflection, journey, or chat removes its browser copy from that device.
• Clearing browser data or using private/incognito mode may remove stored conversations.
• Technical hosting, security, error, and basic usage data may be processed to operate and protect the service. Reflection data is not sold and is not used for advertising.

Read the full, plain-language Privacy & Data Guide.

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.