As the bond between humans and technology grows stronger, society has begun to see an emergence of trends in social media that have redefined communication. The trends of 2011 not only reflect the progress of technological advances, but also give insight into people’s preferences for cyber interaction.
Video Conferencing
Not even 25 years ago, the idea of visiting a relative without leaving home was difficult to imagine. Since the first video was uploaded to YouTube in April 2005, millions of videos have been shared with billions of people globally.
The use of video streaming ranges from business-related meetings to product promotions to Fail Blog. This innovation allows immediate face-to-face interaction with anyone, anywhere, at any time. With the release of Facebook’s video-chat feature a few months ago, the momentum of online video streaming shows no signs of slowing.
Quick Response Codes
The popularity of QR (Quick Response) codes has also increased within the past year. Originally designed for the automotive industry, these matrix-like barcodes are now being used to advertise and convey information in place of traditional methods.
Even in the Campus Recreation Center, all exercise machines are equipped with QR codes that allow quick access to instructions for those in possession of smart phones or equivalent.
3G >>> 4G
The year 2011 was accompanied by increased demand for higher bandwidth from 3G to 4G.
Carriers such as Verizon and T-mobile recognized the desires of busy consumers for faster download times. Verizon’s new 4G LTE promises perfect viewing of high definition movies and song downloads in less than five seconds.
But with elevating consumer expectations, the need for technological innovation is a priority for phone companies. It may not be long before the trend shifts to even more bandwidth.
GPS based services
Location-based services (LBS) have caught on as viable methods for users to interact, share, meet up and recommend places based on their physical coordinates. According to a recent poll of 500 UK adults conducted by Kinetic Worldwide, half of the respondents use their mobile devices for LBS in order to meet up with people, upload recommendations or discover places to visit. The incorporation of LBS by such companies as Google, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will facilitate the sharing of location-based information by both consumers and producers.
Ppt is passé
In the business world, telephone conferencing is common and required, but presentation platforms that are working towards improved interaction such as Sliderocket.com and Prezi.com have gained prominence this year.
Not only will people be able to clearly hear the presenter, but they will also be able watch the presentation in real-time. The enhancement of the presentation tools will also revamp the ways people are able to present their ideas, regardless of the person’s geographic location.
These trends of cutting-edge technology are shaping the realm of social media.