It's the massive , snorting elephant in the room.
Only, this
elephant refuses be ignored. It's smashing through walls, upending the
furniture, and flattening anybody that gets in its path. A wild beast unleashed
upon an audience that fears and reveres it both at once.
And we're all
addicted to it's raw, animal nature.
Social media.
But even as it
takes over our lives, it remains just as unpredictable. We submit (as if we
could resist), allowing it to suck us in, but we never know exactly what shape
we'll be in when it spits us out on the other end. Or which rabbit-hole we'll
tumble down next...
Going Beyond FacebookTwitter Dominance
Just
mention the term "social media" and people almost automatically think of two
things - Facebook and Twitter. The giants on the scene, they've almost become
synonymous with social.
But the "old guys" may not reign king for ever.
Give a bunch of teens a cool new toy they love and what's the best way to get
them to put it down? Open the doors and let their parents join in,
right?
And that's what's happening with a lot of the younger crowd on
more traditional social sharing platforms. With more adult users on Facebook
than ever, fr om middle-aged soccer moms to grandfathers, kids and teens are
fleeing the site fast, and a new social media landscape is forming in their
wake.
But Wh ere Are They Going?
A quick look at the social media
landscape reveals some interesting things about how the world's youth is voting
with their social media minutes. Here are some of the sites that are on the
radar right now, a snapshot that says something unique about the evolving
landscape.
Pinterest
A highly-visual social media site, users on
Pinterest "pin" things that grab their fancy , in the form of videos and images, to a virtual
pinboard. Pinboards are based on all their different interests and then shared
with others or made public; interaction includes repining and commenting from
board to board. A social service that isn't going anywhere soon, Pinterest is
valued at $3.8 billion.
Instagram
The ultimate mobile selfie
platform allows users to edit and share photos and videos on the Instagram site
or other social media platforms, either publicly or privately. Short videos
lasting up to 15 seconds long create a form of modern-day storytelling, and the
crowd is going wild.
Last year, Instagram was purchased by Facebook for
a cool billion dollars and now sees a rate of expansion that dwarfs the growth
of its mother company, Twitter, and Pinterest
combined.
Listnerd
Listnerd is a new social sharing site dubbed as
"a mix between Pinterest and Tripadvisor." Originally launched with the
intention to develop an algorithm that would allow microbrew aficionados to rank
the best beers in the world, it soon moved on to bigger goals. The platform now
allows interest-based communities to rank their favorite products in a wide
range of categories, has thousands of visitors per day, and is growing fast.
Vine
Vine is a mobile app that gives users the ability to create
and post small video clips - up to 7 seconds long - and share them in the
network via their mobile devices. After being purchased by Twitter in 2012,
popularity soared, and in April of 2013 it was downloaded more than any other
free application in the iOS App Store.
Snapchat
A controversial
mobile app that feels like a slap in the face to wary parents everywhere,
Snapchat is so successful that Mark Zuckerberg offered $3 billion dollars to
acquire it... and the owners turned him down. This unique sharing service allows
users to snap quick pictures and videos to share with friends - the catch is
they self-destruct within seconds, creating a chance for some
creativity , a stab at long-lost online privacy and giving
rise to a concerns about just what teens are using it for.
According to
Forbes, Snapchat has 50 million users.
Understanding the New Social Media
Focus
Perhaps you've heard the term interest-based social media,
regarding a trend in the social space that seems to be on the rise. Social media
used be about socializing for the sake of socializing. And usually with people
you knew in the real world. Friends, family, and classmates.
But is that
changing?
New-generation social media sites often have a recurring theme;
they're based not on connecting with people you know already but connecting with
strangers who share your interests and hobbies.
In fact, it began with
one of the originals on the field - Twitter and their use of hashtags and
follows to stay tuned on trending topics of interest. Even LinkedIn can be
considered interest-based in that it forms groups around specific professional
industries.
But these new social media sites are taking this
interest-centric focus to an entirely new level, indicating a change in the
direction of the internet current.
Communicating Identity Vs. Forming
Identity
There's no doubt that social media has always been an
interactive, engaging form of communication, but with interest-based sites,
there's something more dynamic to observe. Social media began as a way to turn
our identities into a currency of sorts. We get together to trade information
about ourselves and invest time into one another beyond the usual bumping into
each other at school or around town.
We stayed in touch.
But now,
the social media conversation is evolving an emphasis on expressing ourselves
through the things we like. Top 10 lists through Listnerd. Image-driven bucket
lists on Pinterest Since time forgotten, jewellery were used as
bodily.
Only, this
elephant refuses be ignored. It's smashing through walls, upending the
furniture, and flattening anybody that gets in its path. A wild beast unleashed
upon an audience that fears and reveres it both at once.
And we're all
addicted to it's raw, animal nature.
Social media.
But even as it
takes over our lives, it remains just as unpredictable. We submit (as if we
could resist), allowing it to suck us in, but we never know exactly what shape
we'll be in when it spits us out on the other end. Or which rabbit-hole we'll
tumble down next...
Going Beyond FacebookTwitter Dominance
Just
mention the term "social media" and people almost automatically think of two
things - Facebook and Twitter. The giants on the scene, they've almost become
synonymous with social.
But the "old guys" may not reign king for ever.
Give a bunch of teens a cool new toy they love and what's the best way to get
them to put it down? Open the doors and let their parents join in,
right?
And that's what's happening with a lot of the younger crowd on
more traditional social sharing platforms. With more adult users on Facebook
than ever, fr om middle-aged soccer moms to grandfathers, kids and teens are
fleeing the site fast, and a new social media landscape is forming in their
wake.
But Wh ere Are They Going?
A quick look at the social media
landscape reveals some interesting things about how the world's youth is voting
with their social media minutes. Here are some of the sites that are on the
radar right now, a snapshot that says something unique about the evolving
landscape.
A highly-visual social media site, users on
Pinterest "pin" things that grab their fancy , in the form of videos and images, to a virtual
pinboard. Pinboards are based on all their different interests and then shared
with others or made public; interaction includes repining and commenting from
board to board. A social service that isn't going anywhere soon, Pinterest is
valued at $3.8 billion.
The ultimate mobile selfie
platform allows users to edit and share photos and videos on the Instagram site
or other social media platforms, either publicly or privately. Short videos
lasting up to 15 seconds long create a form of modern-day storytelling, and the
crowd is going wild.
Last year, Instagram was purchased by Facebook for
a cool billion dollars and now sees a rate of expansion that dwarfs the growth
of its mother company, Twitter, and Pinterest
combined.
Listnerd
Listnerd is a new social sharing site dubbed as
"a mix between Pinterest and Tripadvisor." Originally launched with the
intention to develop an algorithm that would allow microbrew aficionados to rank
the best beers in the world, it soon moved on to bigger goals. The platform now
allows interest-based communities to rank their favorite products in a wide
range of categories, has thousands of visitors per day, and is growing fast.
Vine
Vine is a mobile app that gives users the ability to create
and post small video clips - up to 7 seconds long - and share them in the
network via their mobile devices. After being purchased by Twitter in 2012,
popularity soared, and in April of 2013 it was downloaded more than any other
free application in the iOS App Store.
Snapchat
A controversial
mobile app that feels like a slap in the face to wary parents everywhere,
Snapchat is so successful that Mark Zuckerberg offered $3 billion dollars to
acquire it... and the owners turned him down. This unique sharing service allows
users to snap quick pictures and videos to share with friends - the catch is
they self-destruct within seconds, creating a chance for some
creativity , a stab at long-lost online privacy and giving
rise to a concerns about just what teens are using it for.
According to
Forbes, Snapchat has 50 million users.
Understanding the New Social Media
Focus
Perhaps you've heard the term interest-based social media,
regarding a trend in the social space that seems to be on the rise. Social media
used be about socializing for the sake of socializing. And usually with people
you knew in the real world. Friends, family, and classmates.
But is that
changing?
New-generation social media sites often have a recurring theme;
they're based not on connecting with people you know already but connecting with
strangers who share your interests and hobbies.
In fact, it began with
one of the originals on the field - Twitter and their use of hashtags and
follows to stay tuned on trending topics of interest. Even LinkedIn can be
considered interest-based in that it forms groups around specific professional
industries.
But these new social media sites are taking this
interest-centric focus to an entirely new level, indicating a change in the
direction of the internet current.
Communicating Identity Vs. Forming
Identity
There's no doubt that social media has always been an
interactive, engaging form of communication, but with interest-based sites,
there's something more dynamic to observe. Social media began as a way to turn
our identities into a currency of sorts. We get together to trade information
about ourselves and invest time into one another beyond the usual bumping into
each other at school or around town.
We stayed in touch.
But now,
the social media conversation is evolving an emphasis on expressing ourselves
through the things we like. Top 10 lists through Listnerd. Image-driven bucket
lists on Pinterest Since time forgotten, jewellery were used as
bodily.