Facebook Debuts New Video-Centric App for Teens – PC Magazine

Facebook has launched a new teen-centric app that allows high schoolers and younger college kids to mingle by viewing each other’s flashy video profiles in a standalone environment (as in, not Facebook).

The app, called Lifestage, recently debuted on iOS. Though anyone can download it and use it, only those under 21 years of age will find it particularly interesting. (We’ll explain why in a moment.)

One of the core concepts of Lifestage is the questions it asks you, which you’re supposed to answer using videos, not text updates. For example, when the app asks you to show off your happy face, you’re supposed to grin into the camera with your best selfie smile. You can also make your response a bit more dramatic to keep it interesting, like shooting yourself having a blast at a concert or skipping around the surf at your favorite beach (to name two examples).

These answers then become your video profile on Lifestage, which others are free to check out—so long as they’re under 21. While anyone can download and sign up for the app, it’s designed for the younger crowd. If you’re 22 or older, you can still make a video profile, but you won’t be able to view anybody else’s.

While Lifestage has no way to officially verify who you are or how old you are, it does come with a few checks for those who are acting rude or inappropriate on the service. All a user has to do is swipe on a profile to report or block a person—it’s super-easy, and it should hopefully discourage people from acting sketchy in their video posts. To find more friends, you can indicate what high school you go to when you sign up. However, you won’t be able to change this option once you select it; great to prevent creeps from scanning through other users’ videos, but not so great if you, say, transfer schools at any point.


Facebook is also giving Lifestage users plenty of warning that what they see on the app might not be entirely accurate—or private.

“Everything you post in Lifestage is always public and viewable by everyone, inside and outside your school. There is no way to limit the audience of your videos. We can’t confirm that people who claim to go to a certain school actually go to that school. All videos you upload to your profile are fully public content,” reads Facebook’s description.

The high school aspect doubles as a social marketing tool for Lifestage. The app will only show you peers at your high school once 20 people have indicated they go to your school—a fun little trick to encourage you to get your friends to sign up for the app (which can be done without needing a Facebook account).

Facebook Debuts New Video-Centric App for Teens – PC Magazine