It’s no secret that the Facebook population is aging. Gone are the days when it was the hippest social media network; the 16-year-olds that were on Facebook when it first launched are well into their 20s. Ancient!
But that doesn’t mean Facebook is giving up on the youth of today. In fact, to recapture what it once had with the youth, the company just launched a social-media network that only those under 21 can join, according to a report from TechCrunch.
The new Lifestage service isn’t just built for teens — it was actually built by one. 19-year-old Michael Sayman is the brains behind the app, and first started learning to code at the tender age of 13. After building photo charades app 4Snaps, getting invited by Mark Zuckerberg to present at F8, and eventually interning at Facebook, Sayman came up with the idea for Lifestage, which he has been working on for the past two years.
Anyone can technically download and sign up for Lifestage, of course, but those over 21 will only be able to view their profile — the service is built more for high schoolers to learn about and interact with their classmates. The app is also designed to keep teens safe; a simple swipe blocks and reports people who are trying to interact with teens on the network inappropriately.
Lifestage asks for information (what you like and who your best friend is), but you shoot videos instead of filling a profile with simple text, which are then featured in a video profile that friends can watch.
The app is currently available only on iOS, but it’s likely we’ll see an Android version at some point in the future.