What is social media? Ask Mr. John Q., and you will probably get something akin to “Facebook”, “Twitter”, or whatever the most prominent brand is at the moment. That’s a fine example of branding yes? Those are no more the definition of Social Media than “Kleenex” is the definition for tissue. Or are they? Social media is social is it not? If the public consciousness says that social media is Facebook and Twitter, perhaps it is.
According to Wikipedia, social media is defined as follows…
Social media are computer-mediated technologies that allow the creating and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.
…and then immediately admits this definition is neither definitive or all encompassing. It is likely well beyond the scope of this class, let a lone a single discussion to truly define social media, but we can at least narrow the scope a bit with some simple questions.
Q1 – How does “Social Media” differ from other communication vectors?
Technically speaking, telephones are social media, as would be virtually any form of direct communication in the modern era. What exactly sets apart the concept of social media vs. mass media, vs. a simple phone call? One to many? That’s been around since the days of town criers. Instant access? The telegraph. Two way? Telephone.
Could it be the combination of these aspects that creates the “social” in social media? Or is this merely a psychological effect of the previously mentioned branding?
Q2 – What is the future of social media?
Nebulous though it may be, the history of social media is recorded and available for dissemination. A more difficult question is where it will go. Facebook and its ilk are ubiquitous today, but will not last forever. What will replace the current forms of social media? Will blogs like this make a comeback in the public consciousness? Will a new brands come along doing the same thing with another name plate? Or is there a truly disruptive force on the horizon?
