What will social media be like in 25 - 30 years? 2-on-1 08/17/2018

This week's topic on the future of social media was suggested by me. To see what Ramana thinks about the topic, check his blog here. Merriam Webster defines social media as as forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos)

Social media has become pervasive in our society today and it has descended upon us in extraordinarily rapid fashion. It is both global in nature and uniquely national - that is different in its uses country by country yet a great unifier globally.  The world essentially has become the size of a smartphone screen as that phone can reach virtually anywhere. With Facebook, Twitter, Google, Snap chat, YouTube, Instagram, Reddit and many more the world is  your oyster, as the old saying goes. You have the whole world in your hand.

Why social media? I began using Facebook simply because my nieces in California asked me to - they wanted an easy way to keep in touch since we were thousands of miles apart. Like most platforms, kids were the driving force. Once their parents hopped on the band wagon the kids jumped ship and went to other platforms like Snap chat and Instagram. I suspect as the age of the users on those platforms mature, the kids will move on to the next big platform. Before Facebook, there was - ge.t ready for it - MySpace. For a short time MySpace and Facebook duked it out for the hearts and minds of the youth of the world.   By 2009 Facebook owned that niche in cyberspace. 

Because there are so many smartphones equipped with cameras in the world more and more users wanted a quick, easy picture interface. Along came Instagram. Their target market is the nearly 2 billion smartphone users. The youthful users gladly transferred their loyalty to the new platform. In 2018 the mainly mobile photo sharing network had reached 1 billion monthly active users.

There is no reason to expect the growth of social media to stop over the next 25-30 years. I have  faith several new platforms will be born and evolve over that time.

While social media is essentially benign as a form of entertainment a large swath of people are upset over the use of their personal data by companies and even countries. We are in the midst of a long investigation into the use and abuse of personal data mined by companies and how that data is used to manipulate users and influence who they vote for. Russia managed to sow serious discontent in our system of government and ultimately possibly influence the outcome. Cyberwar has replaced the cold war. That surely will continue,and the primary vehicle is the manipulation of social media. One needs to be very mindful of the information you take in and check and double check its veracity. Now more than ever single sourcing your information sources is a bad idea.

When it comes to data mining, Cambridge Analytica was the prime mover in the interference in American elections in 2016. For information on how they did their job, go here. Again - there is no reason newer, more efficient methods of data mining will not be developed in the next 25-30 years.

Another class of data miners that I expect to flourish in the next 25-30 years are the myriad DNA aggregators. There is no more personal data to mine than your genetic makeup. Once the testing companies have it how they use it is up to them. There are positive uses - a serial killer whose work spanned decades was discovered by finding genetic matches with his family and following that up with some Sherlock-like sleuthing. Expect much more of this in the years to come. Whether this is good or bad is your decision but be sure to actually read the terms of service for any genetic testing company. Make an informed decision about how your data is used.

Let us not forget Twitter. Twitter - that place to let it all hang out. 

Where else can you solve the problems of the world in a group of 240 character posts. Set American policy, berate those who disagree with you and in general say almost anything that strikes your fancy. Some might even say Twitter is the crowded theater into which you can yell "Fire". The precedent established by POTUS 45 is not likely to change, though is it too much to ask for a bit of civility?  Yeah - I know - I am dreaming. But I expect Twitter to grow in usage and importance as we become further enamored of the 24/7 news cycle and the thin skin of certain politicos. It is somewhat akin to the rubberneckers at automobile accidents - there is an almost insatiable desire to see the gory details. We are living in a reality show. 

I'd better not neglect another booming social media platform - the blog. Twitter on steroids. Write as little or as much as you wish. Bloviate to your heart's content. Blogging is a terrific way  to connect with people and will continue to grow as more people join. Blogging is a great way to make contact with people around the world and develop friendships and learn about other cultures. You might  even pair up with one of thos in another country and blog on the same topic weekly to get a different perspective on things.

I do hope there is a return to one on one engagement old-school style - surely you remember the days when you had conversations with people you could look in the eye. Clearly that happens rarely these days in the younger generations and though I expect social media to grow and remain in the fore, even get stronger, I hope we do not lose the ability to engage in civil discourse person to person.

That's it for this weeks topic. See ya next week for the next 2-on-1.