Previously, Google+ only allowed users who were 18 and older to join this social network, which differed greatly from competitor, Facebook, who had already allowed those 13 and up to join.
Google is now going to allow users ages 13 to 17 to join.
To accomodate for the larger market, Google+ has added some new privacy and security settings, according to FoxNews.com
Google+ is already regarding as a more “intelligent social community,” among technophiles, according to the Fox News article.
According to an Olgilvy PR study, 73 percent of teens are currently using social media, like Facebook and Twitter. Google is also betting that these Facebook and Twitter users will hop on board with Google+, as it is considered a safer social network.
The article mentions that this social network is a more controlled place because of the different privacy settings.
Instead of over-sharing information with teens friends on social networking sites, Google+ has friends organized into different circles. There can be circles for ‘coworkers,’ ‘family,’ or even ‘close friends.”
Each circle can have it’s own privacy setting. These privacy settings are said to be a more controlled way of managing and sharing information.
Teens who decide to join this social networking site should spend some time adjusting and learning the features and get those settings set up for their circles.