Creating the Future Through Social Networking
Ok, so I realize that some of you may be wondering why I am suddenly writing on social networking again after having taken a very long break from the subject. Well, there’s several reasons. And I also understand that my last post was a bit long, but there’s just so much to say about this subject and so little time.
First, back to my reasons for writing on the subject. Obviously, the concept of social networking has become ubiquitous due to sites such as MySpace, Friendster, or even Flickr, even though most who use them (and those who refuse) have little to no idea of the impact they are making. (And not just for those who later appear on an episode of Dateline on NBC, generating their 15 minutes by staring into the “ground cam” while being arrested on a complete stranger’s front lawn next to the sprinkler and the garden gnome.)
The force of these social networking sites on emerging and entrenched musicians alone is nothing short of phenomenal, and it’s changing the way we access, listen to, promote, brand, deliver, and choose tomorrow’s musical world. It’s revolutionizing the music industry as we know it, and that’s definitely a good thing.
Another great networking site is Oddpodz. In Karen Post’s own words:
“In Oddpodz’s case, we are building an online destination, a nation for creatives. We had a grand vision, a virtual space called The Muzeum. Rooms filled with creative expression, stages with performing artists, and chat lounges where friends could talk all night. Our challenge is to build an exciting environment that fits on a computer screen while igniting emotions that make visitors want to invest time, spend money, and, most of all, endorse us to their friends.”
No, it obviously goes way beyond just a few domains. Despite the fact that it sounds pretentious, social networking is changing social, organizational, political, environmental, technological, and global life as we know it (Although, granted, not without help from several other simultaneous factors). And maybe this is why I’m focused on it again today. Then again, it may also have something to do with my undivided focus on Change Management, Strategic Planning, and Systems Thinking in my Strategic Foresight graduate program.
Ok, so it DEFINITELY has somehthing to do with that!
You see, the systemic change that modern social networking is producing has long-range implications that we have yet to discover, and that is one of the jobs of foresight and futures studies. For instance, the potential growth of Second Life in the business world can have a profound effect on real-world achitecture, greening pratices, automotive sales, emissions and pollution, oil prices, global stabilization, outsourcing practices, political alliances, trade alliances, educational delivery, and the international economy. What if people no longer have to travel to work every day? What if there is no need for physical business campuses, no need for rush hour, no need to buy as much gas from the local station, etc? What would be the ramifications? The list is endless, and we’re just talking about ONE segment of one market. What changes are ahead in an increasingly globalized society?
“All this from MySpace,” you say? Oh no, all this from the global connectivity and knowledge collaboration that wasn’t possible just a few short years ago. You thought things were moving fast before – hold on to your hat!
So, instead of spending time listing all of the social networking communities and their diverse uses that can be fouind on the web, I’ll simply refer you to a great company in Atlanta, Georgia that came to my attention just recently. The name of the comany is What a Concept!, and here is their competency and focus in their own words:
Message from Sherry Heyl, CEO and Idealist
In 2005 I founded What a Concept! out of frustration. I saw so many great ideas and talented people that were not being recognized. At the same time I noticed that the Internet was rapidly evolving into a true global community. The ideas behind word of mouth/viral marketing and reaching the Tipping Point began to take hold. Through social media tools, the opportunities that exist in harnessing ‘collective intelligence’ through active collaboration are astonishing… What a Concept! develops fresh ideas and strategies that empower our clients to navigate through the vast emerging technologies such as blogs, wikis, social bookmarking and networking tools, videos, podcasts, MMO games and virtual worlds. Together we journey through the process of content creation, strategic positioning and targeted interaction to build a community of raving fans.
Businesses like these are on the cutting edge of a rapidly growing field, helping to navigate and define the path of social networking for the new global economy and society. This is the reason that social networking is a hot topic for futurists, and the multidisciplinary issues that will directly and indirectly develop from it have only begun to emerge.
Maybe the real question is, “How will the landscape of this virtual new earth take shape?”
