Socialnomics Part 2

I've always loved the modern technology debate: Whether or not things like the internet and advanced technologies benefits people. On one side, technology helps us to broaden our range of relationships and makes us more efficient people, and on the other it dampens our connection to our current environment and the people that surround us. It has always been an interesting topic for me especially because I've never formed a solid opinion on it, but Socialnomics has helped me to form one. The first point is that many people are connected to social networks, and lots of time and effort can be saved when considering a product or service (this is something I've held for a while now, but it is powerful). The second is that technology pressures companies and people alike to represent themselves in a singular/defined way, in order to stand out from the crowd (because of the reach of technology).

The book gives many examples of the kinds of time and effort that can be saved, using social networks' past experiences and research, and to form personal opinions of products/services. The basic idea is that people won't waste hours on researching the product they are going to buy, because they trust their social network. I love this example because it is people connecting with others in an indirect way, using others' ratings to make decisions of a product. It goes against the argument that relationships are dampened. The way I see it, the kinds of relationships we have with others are going to change, but all relationships we have are going to be beneficial in some way, such as making decisions.

The next point is that people and technologies are pressured to show themselves in a singular/defined way, in order to stand out in a crowd. This basically means that marketing in the new age (even the way we personally represent ourselves to others) is changing. We can no longer tell others that we are great at a lot of things. The jack of all trades is going to be a one in a million kind of person, and will not be believable, so it is showing others your core strengths that is going to be beneficial. Also the overplayed company message that says they are the most experienced in their field, creates the best products, best customer service, and best deals cannot be marketed anymore. With technology, consumers are able to look through this kind of message and through their social networks, find the product/service that best fits their needs. The argument that relationships will be dampened has some truth to it, but I believe that with technology the individuals are given more power.