Will Social Networking Last?

[imoldernu]

Ten years ago, my daily ration of personal emails was from 10 to 20 ... Today, down to very, very few.

In the mid to late 1970's, on my way to work and back, my CB radio was on permanently... chatting with "online " friends. People I didn't know and many bored truck drivers.
"Staying in Touch" consisted of handwritten letters or occasional expensive long distance telephone calls. Later on in the 1980's and 90's... Chat Rooms.

Fast forward to today. Flooded with information of all kinds, from every conceivable source, it seems that almost everyone, everywhere is connected all the time. I share the grid of information... news, personal interests and entertainment, but do not connect with the explosion of social networks... the person to person Facebook/Twitter type of Social Networking connections.

Instead of a survey, like "Do you use Facebook etc.?" I would really be interested in your answer to the question:

Will Social Networking Last? and will the 13 year old who is literally tied to the world through a smartphone... still be doing that when he/she is 25 years old? ... or will this be something that came and went... with a return to the concept of personal privacy in a limited social structure.

So, not what you do, but what you see as a future for Social Networking... pehaps 10 or 15 years in the future.

 

[aja8888]

The computer and internet brought us social networking. I believe it is here to stay since it works so well for so many people.

10 -15 years out? more mobile social networking as that is where the trend is headed. We will have smart phones for a long time since they work so well for so many (younger) people.

On another note my younger sister (65 yrs old) sends me a handwritten letter every 6 months updating her family's changes, etc.

 

[heeyy_joe]

A contact lens that does everything your smartphone can do now controlled by eye blinks- social networking is here to stay but will become somewhat invisible.

 

[Midpack]

Absolutely yes IMO, though I am sure social media will evolve. Privacy and security issues are the obstacles and those will be addressed to suit users. It's not just 13 and 25 year olds who've adopted smartphones (though they're most adept), lots of boomers and all ages have become highly reliant on social media/smartphones - many I know were drawn in just to stay connected to their kids! We've already dropped landlines and rely on being connected anywhere, and we look forward to the day we no longer need wallets, keys, etc.

And many in developing countries have gone directly from no infrastructure to smartphones including social media.

 

[Major Tom]

I too think that not only will our connectivity increase, but that our interface to that network will evolve and become more sophisticated. It may develop to the point where we are barely aware of it.

I'm a bit of a luddite in that my main connections to the outside world are through a landline and a desktop computer (no mobile device here) but I have no doubt that our communication devices will become more advanced. I don't think speculation about implanted devices is that far-fetched at all.

 

[Amethyst]

My experience is that as we age, we have trouble putting things down and forgetting where we left them. To stay connected, we'll need to give up the hand-held and worn-on-the-body devices in favor of something implanted.

Amethyst

 

[braumeister]

Considering how technology has updated (I won't say "improved") social networking since the days of party-line telephones, I'm quite sure it's here to stay, but we certainly are clueless about what it will look like ten years from now.

 

[Walt34]

Considering how technology has updated (I won't say "improved") social networking since the days of party-line telephones, I'm quite sure it's here to stay, but we certainly are clueless about what it will look like ten years from now.

Exactly. There has always been "social media" even if it was the ladies gathering at the community well while the guys were out slaying dinner.

But it sure is going to look different!

 

[Tadpole]

From conception and thru eternity.

 

[kcowan]

I am always surprised when the incumbent technology providers miss the next revolution. With the exception of Apple, Blackberry, Palm, HP, Lenovo et al totally missed the current incarnation.

It seems silly for everyone to carry the technology needed. Whoever invents the next generation is in for a helluva ride!

 

[growing_older]

Sadly, yes. And likely to get even more intrusive. I'm already baffled by how many people want to live their lives in a semi-public eye, broadcasting their location, likes, browsing and buying habits to their friends and acquaintances. With the coming advent of wearable technology, this will likely continue or accelerate.

I don't need, or even want, my soccer friends to know all about my kids schools, or my work colleagues to know all about my non-work graduate classes. But other people seem to want to broadcast their everyday location, in case anyone they know is nearby, or in case a store wants to give them a coupon, as well as tell everyone their everyday actions. I expect I will reluctantly be swept along, resisting all the way.

 

[gardenfun]

Sadly, yes. And likely to get even more intrusive. I'm already baffled by how many people want to live their lives in a semi-public eye, broadcasting their location, likes, browsing and buying habits to their friends and acquaintances. With the coming advent of wearable technology, this will likely continue or accelerate.

I don't need, or even want, my soccer friends to know all about my kids schools, or my work colleagues to know all about my non-work graduate classes. But other people seem to want to broadcast their everyday location, in case anyone they know is nearby, or in case a store wants to give them a coupon, as well as tell everyone their everyday actions. I expect I will reluctantly be swept along, resisting all the way.

+1

IMHO, "social media" is a misnomer. To me, it's just another form of broadcast media, only this time it's individuals broadcasting their locations, meals, photos, etc.
A true social interaction would be a two-way conversation, ongoing and in-depth.
And don't forget, all those so-called social media sites are in the business of selling advertising, pure and simple.
But I guess they'll stay around in some form, cuz enough people will put up with being bombarded with advertising, just so they can broadcast stuff about themselves.

 

[HFWR]

I post stuff like bike ride mileage, or maybe a concert pic, but usually don't include location, and may not post in real time. But I don't post every little insignificant utterance or move I make. Don't need to share that, and it's doubtful anyone cares...

 

[BigMoneyJim]

When I was a kid, social networking was a teen tying up the only phone line in the house or bicycling around the neighborhood. Or I guess for the adults it was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch, having tea parties, or hanging out at a bar or barber shop. The only thing that's changed is the speed and the options.

There were always people telling others inane things; it's just a lot easier to reach a wider audience now if you want.

I don't try very hard, but I have regular contact with people in other countries. I think eventually it will make wars harder to fight because you can identify with people in the places your country wants to bomb.

Wow, I kind of ran off the rails there.

 

[Helios]

Seems to me to actually be an anti social networking future. Are we afraid to face to face? I do like that it makes connecting with like minded souls easier. Tho... If i were still primarly face to facing, i could get more divergent ideas.

 

[audreyh1]

Forgot to say we use it to broadcast our butterfly yard list. LOL!

And that's as personal as we get!

 

[kcowan]

I think people that broadcast what they are having/cooking for dinner are just bored. Sometimes people post just to brag about their exploits.

 

[steelyman]

I think people that broadcast what they are having/cooking for dinner are just bored. Sometimes people post just to brag about their exploits.

I like reading about any recipe that involves shooting limb chickens in the head.

I'm slowly transferring my recipes to Evernote and they always start with that. It's athletic!

 

[Major Tom]

I think people that broadcast what they are having/cooking for dinner are just bored. Sometimes people post just to brag about their exploits.

Whenever I start thinking about the inanity of many FB posts, I remind myself that much casual social interaction between friends in real life isn't exactly high-level discourse either. However, the real life stuff is ephemeral - once you say something, it floats off into the wind. Something about putting all this stuff down permanently in text and pictures seems to highlight the very casual nature of much trivial conversation, at times making it seem comic and banal.

 

[martyp]

I think most people would be shocked if they heard a recording of their own daily conversations. Most of what they would hear would be trivial chit chat about their kid's soccer game, where they went for dinner, the weather, etc. They might even pull out a snapshot of their last vacation. What social media has revealed is that this type of chit chat is just as effective and trivial on-line as it is face-to-face. While trivial in content it is still useful as a social lubricant.

Social media is as public or private as you want it to be. It is not much different than choosing to whisper to the person next to you or shout out the joke or insult to everyone around you. An you can choose to listen or not. And sometimes you can't avoid whatever is being hurled at you.

When I was at w*rk we had to consider what was appropriate to say in an email vs using the phone or talking face-to-face. It's about choosing what to say and how to say it in each context. Social media is neither good or bad. It is just another tool of communication. Tools sometimes require some amount of skill to use them effectively and sometimes there is a leaning curve and sometimes we just resist learning new things and just want to do it the "old way".

I do worry about the younger generation being drawn first to social media and missing out leaning face-to-face skills early in life. Teamwork was important in my business and I could see poor social interactions skills as being a negative. However, I think over time they will learn these skills too to be used when necessary. Our generation could benefit from keeping up with technology to be used at the proper time and context.

 

[ChiliPepr]

A contact lens that does everything your smartphone can do now controlled by eye blinks- social networking is here to stay but will become somewhat invisible.

What heeyy_joe said...

Yes, Social networking will be around in 15 years, but I am guessing it will not look anything at all like it does today....
Look at the timeline... (ok, it may not be perfect... but you get the idea...)

60 years ago you ... Wrote a letter
45 years ago you ... Typed a letter
30 years ago you ... Called on the phone
15 years ago you ... Sent an email
Today you ... Send a text/Facebook post
15 years from now it will just be faster and smaller...

 

[bbbamI]

My experience is that as we age, we have trouble putting things down and forgetting where we left them. To stay connected, we'll need to give up the hand-held and worn-on-the-body devices in favor of something implanted.

Amethyst

I agree....

I just hope whatever implanted in me works well. I'd hate to pass gas, the wires get crossed, a spark ensues and I burst into flames.

 

[Walt34]

15 years from now it will just be faster and smaller...

I sure hope it comes with an "off" switch....

 

[rodi]

As the mother of a 13 year old - I can tell you he has no interest in Facebook. Youtube is a different thing.... he has his own youtube channel and loves making and posting videos about various video games.

He does not have instant access to the world via 3g/4g on his phone because I haven't enabled data on it. (He can access wifi at home - and can text call when he doesn't have wifi.) He would use the data service for playing games - and I'd rather he pay attention to schoolwork.

He told me facebook was only for moms these days - none of his friends have accounts.

 

[martyp]

As the mother of a 13 year old - I can tell you he has no interest in Facebook. Youtube is a different thing.... he has his own youtube channel and loves making and posting videos about various video games.

He told me facebook was only for moms these days - none of his friends have accounts.

Yes but FB is only one social media platform. Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and many others I don't know about (and favored by the young) are going strong. Social media in general has a promising future whatever form it takes.