I am adept at PC and internet usage and can move effortlessly between platforms, programs and social media tools. What is exciting about the new tools is the power they place at your feet. However, they are like a new mistress,they are never satisfied and need constant attention to keep them meeting your needs.
In the days when a monthly newsletter was sufficient to i
nform all, we have moved into a world where real time is the only game in town. This may be exactly what is needed between close friends, but it's now expected at every interface with friends, customers and business people. It is a different way of thinking. In the past we socialised between work, now we work between social networking.
Human interaction is built along societal rules. These rules are rapidly changing. We only have to look at the recent events of Egypt and Tunisia to realise that these new tools change the balance of control. By linking people effortlessly and effectively in large groups or networks we remove central control of the power of broadcasting to the masses. Now people rely, increasingly on others for the "true story". Broadband is leading the broadcast at the moment. Mistrust and bias is considered part of the government media image.
I watched the Bafta winning movie The Social Network this weekend. The enormous power of people harnessed through basic human behaviours, keeping in touch, seeing and being seen, friends. So I now spend half of my day keeping up with the latest news and views.
