The Times They Are E-changin'

The end of 2009 is rapidly approaching and as we enter the new decade, social media will continue to alter the way we network, communicate and get informed. It seems as though most of the world is “logged on” nowadays. Businesses, organizations, even government officials have utilized what many of the 2.0 applications offer to our society; a faster way of connecting to one another. Whether we use the internet to read the latest news headlines, send and receive emails from all the various branches of our life or to “tweet” about what’s new in our lives, the future of social media will continue to affect each and every one of us.

Here are some highlights to what’s in my brain when I think of the future of social media and how it may affect our lives:

1.) “P.R.I.V.A.C.Y. is Priceless to Me”: When I look into my social media crystal ball, I see many changes facing the privacy issues on the internet. This issue has already been explored in many ways, however, due to the Facebook and Twitter boom, individuals may want to SERIOUSLY consider what they put out onto the web. Once it’s out there, it’s out there.

2.) Reliable Sources: The term most people use lately when they talk to someone who may not be informed on an issue is “Google it.” With an insane amount of information that can be found on virtually any topic on the net, I think society is going to have to be careful when gathering information. Anyone can post anything about anything. While I can see more collective informational sites, like Wikipedia continuing to thrive and connect people, I also think it’s important to continue to spread awareness about internet scams, hoaxes, and reliable news sources.

3.) Adaptation: Some people fear change. The one thing about the future in regards to society being online, all the time, that disturbs me is that there is always someone, somewhere who could be tracking your every move. This idea just doesn’t set right with me. I want to have a voice when it comes to survey participation or case studies and focus groups. If having a GPS application on my phone means that someone will always know exactly where I am, I’m not sure if I want to jump on that bandwagon. While societal behaviors are an important subject to research, I think when it comes to analyzing the masses through internet activity and social media applications; we need to proceed with caution, especially if it means that an individual could lose control of their identity.

Anything could be possible in the future. I thought by now we’d all be driving a car similar to that of the Jetson family. Guess I dropped the ball on that one. The advancement of technology in society can be used for so many fascinating things to help better our world. I hope that if laws are created in the future regarding internet issues they will not put too many limits on the very expression that makes social media as rewarding as it is.

Here's a link to a social networking site that displays much about what I spoke of in #3 regarding location:Whrrl