What does it mean to protect your tweets on twitter?

Im trying to limit who can view what I post on twitter. I went to my settings and changed my tweets to protected tweets. What does this mean though? Is there a way to approve who follows you? Because previously like 28 people followed me can they see my protected tweets? I want it to be just friends and family, is that possible on twitter?What does it mean to protect your tweets on twitter?
Yes. It is Possible Only After You Approve Them!

Protecting tweets Actually Mean:

* People will have to request

to follow you and each

follow request will need

approval

--%26gt;Your Tweets will only be

visible to users you've

approved, meaning that

other users will not be able

to retweet your Tweets

--%26gt;Protected Tweets will not

appear in Twitter search

--%26gt;@replies you send to people

who aren't following you

will not be seen by those

users (because you have not

given them permission to

see your Tweets)

--%26gt;You cannot share

permanent links to your

Tweets with anyone other

than your approved

followers

--%26gt;note: t.co links, even

those shared via DM, are

neither private nor

public. Anyone with the link

will be able to view the

content.What does it mean to protect your tweets on twitter?
twitter is astupid site better for u go to face book