I believe that we are only truly at the tip of the iceberg in terms of what social media can be, and how it can be used. Within the past year or two, social media sites have really snowballed in terms of scope and outreach into mainstream society. Now there are almost 1 billion people on Facebook, hundreds of millions on Twitter and many more on other sites like MySpace, LinkedIn, Flickr and smaller sites like Tumblr.
In terms of integration with technology, we are starting to see cell phones made around compatibility with these social media sites, with instant upload options and apps. We are also starting to see game consoles begin to integrate these sites, and even some games have started to use social media. Technology is starting to really show what social media can do, but new innovations need to keep coming to ensure the longevity of social media. I believe that we don't realize how easily social media can be eliminated.
I believe that we are coming up on a turning point in social media, one where it could be integrated properly into our lives and will actually become useful, or it could become way too diluted and just be there for the sake of being there. If the latter occurs, I really have a feeling that social media will become just a fad and people will become sick of using it. Companies really need to start innovating and planning for the future of social media so this doesn't happen. I believe it could easily just become a thing of the past, where people will get sick of tweeting, or being invited to the multitude of "social games" on Facebook.
If utilized correctly, social media could change the way the world is run and the way that people live their lives. If not, this will become just another fad and we will be missing out on a huge opportunity.
