• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, June 6, 2014

Do you ever worry that there aren’t enough social networks in the world? Sure, we all do. But lay your fears to rest, because there are at least three new social networks targeting kids, expectant mothers, and authors.

First up is Grom Social, a network for kids ages five to 13, which was founded by 11-year-old Zach Marks (now 13) after he was annoyed to discover Facebook’s minimum age requirement of 13. Marks explained to Headline News that Grom requires users to sign up with their parents, hired teachers to monitor the site, and has content filters to prevent bad behavior and cursing. In addition every two weeks the site sends parents an email summary of their kid’s activity on the site.

Next comes Preggie, the social app for expectant mothers, which may be a godsend for everyone who is sick of seeing ultrasounds on Facebook. Since it’s all about being pregnant, mothers-to-be can post as many pictures (and updates) about being pregnant as they like, as well as connect to other pregnant women and mothers for advice and support. Preggie suggests connections based on the woman’s stage of pregnancy and location; when a user signs up she will immediately see hundreds of other pregnant women who live in her area. Preggie is currently available for iOS, with an Android version coming soon.

Finally Simon & Schuster have launched a new social network for the publisher’s authors called “S&S InkedIn” (the reference to ink is sort of ironic). Authors can use the platform to connect with other authors and communication in group settings or via private messages, and can also use it to check their book sales states, get marketing tips, and report when their work is being pirated.

InkedIn might seem like a long shot, considering that most authors are self-absorbed narcissists who tend to begrudge each other’s success -- but it worked for Facebook!