DD: Grom Social: A Safe Site for Kids

Social networks are a great place to keep up with friends and family - but they can also be a dangerous for kids.

That's why Zach Marks created Grom Social at the age of 11. Well, that and the fact that his dad found him on Facebook and told him he was way too young for the site.

"We're big fans of Facebook, but when it comes to the kid market, there is no one monitoring," Darren Marks, Zach's dad, said.

He created the site in 2012, and now three years later it's grown from a couple hundred users to 1.2 million and growing.

"There was no place for kids like me to go that had been kicked off Facebook by their parents, so I decided to create one," Zach told Digital Download.

Zach comes from a surfing family of eight. The family's surfing background is what inspired the name for the website.

"Grom actually comes from Australia, it's a young surf term-it's actually a promising young individual that is quick to learn,"Zach said.

So, how does it work? Kids login using a parent's or teacher's e-mail. Once they sign up, they create a Gromatar and start exploring.

Kids can connect with people on the website, but not just anyone. Every keystroke is monitored 24/7, and parents can track their kid's activity.

Zach had a little advice for young entrepreneurs.

"If you have a set goal don't let anything get in the way," he said.

Right now, the Marks are working on a Christian part of Grom Social they expected to be finished by the 2015 holiday season.