There always seems to be a topic of discussion that is prominent for a couple of days. Lately it has been social media and more specifically the definition of it. Several discussions with clients and co-workers, quite a few blog entries and even a recommendation by the Finnish consumer agency on what kind of viral marketing is suitable, have all touched the subject.

I did already kill off social media in a previous post but having to discuss the topic has brought me back to it. I am not changing my view that social media is going down. It seems I need to deal with the issue daily, so a definition might come handy.

All the definitions I have seen, seem to be quite long winded. They go on and on about the tools currently available or activities that people can perform with these tools. The impacts of social media are also widely discussed, but I still feel that something is missing.

In all simplicity, my definition is this:

Social media = A medium where downstream and upstream are equal.

I would love to hear if anyone has any other thoughts on the subject.

Social media was the big thing last year. It will be big this year too, but how big? Is it already running out of steam?

Friendship and social relations are about quality, not quantity. People are realizing that connecting with as many “friends” as possible is not worth the effort. There must be some reason people have not kept in touch in the first place. Surely, a Facebook friend request does not change why you have not had a relationship for many years?

But how many social networks can one person belong to? Everyone seems to be building a website with some sort of social aspect. There just is not enough time in the world for people to be social everywhere.

It is very easy to get carried away with all the hype going on. The fact is social media is just one side of an ever-evolving digital world. A world where change is constant and fast.

My candidates for the next big thing:
1. Aggregation - Sifting through enormous amounts of content and gathering the meaningful stuff.
2. Mobile - The technology is finally getting there. Or is it?
3. Baby Boomers - They are active, they have money and, now that they are retiring, they have time.

What do you think will be the next big thing that everyone talks about, smart people capitalize on and eventually fades away?

Thanks to JanneW for the inspiration.