AARP wants old people to drop Facebook for its new platform

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If you ask today’s younger generation “Which social media platform is for old people”, you will almost certainly get Facebook as a response. Well, now a new player with a reputation for working for older people is entering the social media game: AARP.

AARP is a non-profit organization that aims to empower Americans over the age of 50. The organization has been working to improve the lives of America’s 50 plus population for more than half a century.

Now, AARP has backed a social media platform aimed directly at seniors. The new platform, called Senior Planet Community, was developed by AARP affiliate Older Adults Technology Services (OATS).

OATS initially started as a computer class for older individuals in New York City, and eventually grew into an online service.

And from there, the company developed Senior Planet Community. The site is similar to other social platforms. Users can join groups with people with shared interests and engage in conversation over specific topics.

However, the AARP-backed site is pretty simple when compared with other social platforms. It’s also a lot less commercial, with no advertisements or fees of any sort.

READ MORE: Older Americans are getting bad internet safety advice from AARP

It doesn’t look like monetization is any kind of priority for OATS and Senior Planet Community, for now at least.

Senior Planet Community was in a closed beta period for about a month before launching last week, according to Axios. The new AARP-backed social media platform has modest goals for the beginning but hopes to one day reach up to a million or more people.

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