Thursday 15 March 2012

Blog Posting #4


How do you think social media will change in the future?  What other trends would you add to the mix? Are there any specific technologies that you think will gain popularity or emerge?

Social media is continuously changing, and has proven so with the progress it has made in the last decade. Even if you were to think about social media last year you will notice many changes. Although it is difficult to predict what social media will be like in the future, one thing we do know is that it has it’s way of surprising us and making our lives easier.

One way I can see social media trends changing in the future is by less hand-held technologies. Many phones are now able to make speaking demands to phone people or send messages. However, for people who have used this feature you will know that it can be a pain and it often doesn’t hear your demand properly. I can definitely see this feature being updated and more useful by individuals, especially with the no hand-held devices while driving law. Another hand-held device that already exists that I believe may gain more popularity is a recorder that then transforms into a written copy. This is a feature that would be extremely popular with students to record their lectures rather than torturing their hands by writing pen to paper, or on your keyboard.

Another trend I can see becoming more popular in the near future is videoconferences, and even video-socializing. Many businesses are already using videoconferencing to connect with their internal and external business partners who are unable to connect in person. This is a very personal and more efficient way to connect as it leads to faster decision-making, less costs for traveling, and closer; more personal relationships with co-workers. It is also becoming more popular as a way to connect with family and friends. It gives people a more personal and real experience and with technology becoming more and more accessible people of all ages will become more familiar with these features.

I do believe that social media will progress more than just upgrading technologies that already exist, and creating more trends. I believe that as usual social media will surprise us and people will come up with an easier way to communicate than I can even imagine at this time. There is no limit to what technologies we will embrace in the future.

7 comments:

  1. I agree with your point about less handheld devices. I presently carry both a cell phone and an iPod but I would gladly switch to carrying just one. I would hope this would lead to the creation or use of a longer lasting battery. Present battery technologies cannot last more than a day when used as a phone, music player and any other feature they might have. This really prohibits me from using my phone to its maximum potential as it would cause my battery to degrade much quicker.

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  2. I think you are right on all accounts voice control is definitely here to stay, but I'd say that motion tracking will play a big part as well in all accounts as it has proven to be very useful. And as for video calls etc. I can see that companies may try to crack this market down and charge more for it as it continues to grow. Its market is huge and has a lot of potential.

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  3. I definitely agree with you--voice commands need much improvement! Are they ever correct? Video conferencing using Skype will definitely be a very popular thing in the future, even more so than now. This is great for businesses contacting people in other parts of the world, and having a face-to-face with a client or potential client may help seal a deal easier than making a phone call.

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  4. I agree that there will be less handheld devices needed. In fact, we've already reached that point with smart phones. Any of the new modern smart phones are able to do anything a netbook or notebook is able to do and more.

    I disagree however on the video conferencing being an emerging technology. The reason why I say this is the fact that we have phones, with phone numbers, with voice calling. Yet the majority of the younger generation will text 9/10 if they have a choice. Voice communication is more advanced technology but texting is what they're doing. I personally believe that this is due to the interactive nature of typing a text message on the device itself.

    Social Media's future is a mytery to us all, I agree. But one thing is for sure. We are a forever advancing species so we can rest assured that we will have new technologies soon enough in the future.

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  5. I hadn't mentioned anything of what you had but I agree with you. On my phone I thought it was handy when I found out it could be activated by just me speaking, but when I actually tried to do it, it was just annoying and I never cared to think about using it again. As far as a recorder that could then transform it into a written copy, that could definately be useful for a wide variety of people.

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  6. first of all i agree with what you said about how social media changes rapidly and unpredictably; social media even differing this year compared to last. secondly, i like what you said about how social media will become less hand held. i think social media being less hand held is definitely something that society wants and is also something that researchers are interested in pursuing. overall i definitely agree with your view for the future of social media.

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  7. I agree completely with your post. I can totally picture voice-demand technologies increasing because it does benefit many people as well as work with the rules of the road. Hands-free calling is a big deal because there have been fatal accidents due to the distraction of a hand-held device.

    Video-confrencing is also an incredible technology that will benefit many business oriented individuals because of the ease and convenience it offers. Not only is this a piece of technology that works for business individuals but those who are connecting long distances with family or friends. Saving money and time with travelling is greatly appreciated to those who don't have a lot of either.

    Social media is a mind-boggling tool that many take advantage of at this point in time but I believe that in the future the attitude will change because it will be such a bigger aspect of our everyday lives.

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