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If you’re somebody who’s been trying to figure out the question - when will google plus be available to teenagers, it’s already happened. As of 1/26/2012, Google has officially created a Google + social community built for teenagers.
If you are a mom, dad, or somebody who knows many teenagers – I’m sure that you’ve realized teenagers are on the internet A LOT. Once teenagers get home from school after 3 PM, thousands of teenagers worldwide will get behind a computer and start surfing the web. Some of the things they surf on the web involve social circles, chats, and games. Because of this, Google + have acted in a way that will benefit these young users.
Google + have done so with the main ideal of online safety for our young users. They’ve recently created a teenager category for teenagers who are 13 years and older who want to have a Google + account and be socially active online. What makes the teenager account unique from a normal Google + account is that the teenager account is built with different safety precautions. These safety precautions involve sharing content, receiving notifications, and hanging out with friends.
Sharing Content
Much like Facebook, when you post something all of your friends see this and have the potential to share this with countless others. So Google + have set it up to where before somebody posts something on their wall for everybody to see, they’ve created a pop up box to ask them if they are totally sure they want to make that post.
Receiving Notifications
It’s fun being able to add new people and join different types of groups on Google +. But with a teenager, Google + have set it up, by default (which you can change), to where only people who are in teens circles can say hello. Then if the teenager wishes to block someone, or even the parents watching over there online activity, a user can be blocked with just a couple clicks.
Hanging out with Friends
It’s cool being able to be in social circles between friends – like using multi-person video feed. But in that circumstance when a young adult joins a circle with a teenager, they are temporarily removed from the group and given a quick warning saying they are with teenagers. After they see and accept this warning, they are able to rejoin the group.
These are all pro-active measures to keep a safer environment for young ones maturing into adulthood. This way, they can more safely browse the internet without the extra worry of online predators and stalkers keeping people like you and me more stress free.
Final Thoughts
If you have any thoughts over the topic when will google plus be available to teenagers, all comments are appreciated.
There's no age limit actually. It's just for keeping the teenager group safer.
I didn't know that G-Plus was not available for teenagers until I read this. But it's good that it's officially open for us teenagers now with safety features.
Actually, it was. It's just made with extra security now for the teenager group. I agree that it is too. :)
Great article Seth. I have three teenagers who will be happy to hear this. :)
Yea, it's important that teenagers realize the importance of staying safe on the internet. I'm majoring in Cyber-Security, and I'm learning a ton of stuff that even adults don't realize on what people can really do if they know what they're doing. I'm liking how Google + is doing everything possible to make there database user friendly and more protective.
I agree with Kyle. It's a good thing though that google + created something for teenagers too. I hope this will be better since I read some news before about teenagers who committed suicide just because of cyber bullying in Facebook... As always, great article Seth!
Ugh..that's sad to hear about teenagers committing suicide from cyber bullying on Facebook. But I think there will always be cases like this to watch out for and will always have a certain possibility of becoming that. It's our duty to lower those chances by setting guidelines and rules for helping these younger teenagers. Thanks a bunch for the compliment. :)
As you said Seth, the teenager market is a massive one and they are always engaged on their cell phones. Unfortunately the networks open themselves up to cyber bullying claims when they open it to teenagers. This can definitely have a negative impact and I hope that Google + has some good reporting tools and efficient protocols in place to prevent this from happening.
Yes, I was reading that portables and cell phones are more easily hacked because of there lack of security. I guess this means that it's important to keep everything more secure, same with the massive teenager market, so harm isn't done too somebody. I totally agree with the reporting tools and protocols. Stalking, cyber-bullying, and sexually oriented advances are some of the main problems with the online world and it's important to help stop this as much as possible.
But would the benefits of children having access to social networks at an early age outweigh any of the negative benefits. Perhaps it would make our next generation less personable...even to the point where kids would actually say "LOL" instead of laugh. A interesting world we may be heading towards!
Ha, good point! I've actually had one of my friends say lol when she was giving a speech or talking. In response to this, I just looked down and shook my head in embarrassment. I have to agree with you about being less personable and much less wanting to talk to people on a 1 on 1 basis. I've actually seen this play into my life to a certain extent, and to be honest with you, I'm not really fond of it. I think that is a great topic to talk about and people need to be aware of it.
I see it happening to...and since a good deal of my day to day is spent on a computer or through a phone, the ability to interact can be impacted as a result. I make an effort to "get out and see the world" and interact when I am feeling anti-social, this seems to help out. I don't think a generation that does not know any different would ever do this though...
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