Social Media - Alternative Way of Meeting

These are distractions in light of the more integral questions in any discussion of social media. Are we any more connected in real terms? On the other hand, is our communication now so mediated, so diluted, so removed from actual human contact, that it lacks any real meaning at all? Is there a future for Social Media or is it leading us to the proverbial blind alley?

Telecoms providers are keen to capitalise on the marketing potential that partnerships with SM providers can provide. However, it is unlikely that this roving access will have any impact upon the quality of communications using those media. Roving access may well only increase the rapid commercialisation of new technologies and give people another excuse to use their mobiles unnecessarily.

The true potential of the available tools has barely been tapped or rather, is only being exploited by a select cadre of ‘early adopters’ many of whom work within the ‘knowledge economy’ of skilled creative and technological industries. These individuals, ‘ahead of the curve’ and keyed into the latest trends, are using a whole range of different, rapidly evolving services like Jaiku and Twitter alongside more widely used media such as Instant Messaging and blogging. Thus, they spread their ‘virtual’ identity across a number of different media, interacting in a myriad of ways with different groups or audiences.

The prime advantage of these services to users, besides the fact that these services are offered for free, is that a large amount of the content is user-generated, and the development of the services user-driven. Through innovative licensing agreements such as ‘Creative Commons’ and the similar arrangements involved in producing Wikis, anybody with a PC and a reliable internet connection can create innovative new software from existing templates and distribute their own creations. This not only brings people together but pools expertise and opinions to stimulate valuable progress technically and intellectually. According to Brian Solis, co-founder of industry think tank the Social Media Club:

Whilst there is much truth to this statement, it only extends as far as technology is ‘democratically’ available. In ‘developed’ countries, there is a widespread assumption that technology is our saviour -- a potent vehicle for social change. This attitude ignores the wider global context of poverty and the income and opportunity gap domestically in the UK. Ignoring the wider context of poverty increases the risk of people from lower income families from not being able to participate in electronic democracy because of their weak economic circumstances. Furthermore, as cyberspace is such a disparate, heterogeneous entity, its capacity to influence actual change in the corridors of power may well be limited. Politicians may be happy to podcast their policy speeches but will probably be wary about taking unsolicited advice from anyone who spends more time online than off. ‘Second Life’ might present a viable alternative to everyday existence, but social media should only be invested in, in terms of both time and money, as long as it produces tangible, empowering results in Life Number One.