Digital Utopia… Or Is It?

I’m still pretty new on the social media scene, I’ve only been blogging for a little over two months, and before that, my only real exposure on the world wide web was Facebook.  But now I’m on Twitter, Flickr, Linkdin and a number of other sites which are all aimed at creating an online picture of what I do.  The discussion is however, just how far will this Digital Utopia go, and what challenges is it bringing to new business?

I’ve just come from the New Generation Arts Festival debate on this subject, where some industry experts were invited to share their thoughts on the ongoing development of the Internet, and its impact on their particular line of business.  It was also the first debate which I have attended which had a live Blog stream behind the speakers, with online followers able to ask questions and respond to the live commentary… that itself is just a sign of how the digital revolution is affecting our business.  I know in-fact that Stef was listening & watching from New York, something which five years ago no-one would have thought possible.

The main focus of the debate was about power, namely where power now lies in the media relationship.  Is the power with the individual who is now able to create and upload their own content, promote everything from their own music to their political ideas, as well as being able to share news and stories from around the world that otherwise may not get coverage.  Does this take the power away from the traditional forms of media, the newspapers and TV stations that have previously filtered content? The increased level of choice for the consumer of information means that with a simple search online, you can find information about anything you want.  You can also get real life, up to the minute conversation on particular events, rather than waiting until it has been edited for TV or print.  But does this increased choice actually mean more power for the individuals?

A very good point was made by the panel in that once you give someone too much choice, they actually become disinterested in all of the information available.  Giving someone hundreds of sources of information makes it very difficult for an individual to quickly identify the information that they want, and that is relevant to them.  Here in lies the source of power for the traditional types of media which we are use to.  By using the trust of a brand, such as the Birmingham Post, who can bring together these new sources of information, filter them and allow easy access, the traditional forms of media can retain their power.  So perhaps the Digital Revolution has redistributed the power, but to both parties.  The challenge is for the new forms of media to embrace the new media out there, and to use the opportunity to expand into new markets. 

The panel were made up of Rory Cellan-Jones, of the BBC, who acted as the debate chair, and raised some interesting questions about the development of online media.  Chris Cooke talked about the development of the 1990 generation, those individuals who have been brought up on the Digital Revolution, and who are now the ones in the ideal position to shape it going forward.  He was highly optimistic about this potential development, and had high hopes for the future of digital media.  Joanna Geary of the Birmingham Post was a great advocate for how the traditional forms of media must embrace the change, using the trust in such brands to filter information through the new forms of information sourcing.  She was fearful, but optimistic that her industry could and would adapt.  Doug Williams, of BT, talked about how going forward service providers will offer the ability for individuals to be actively involved in the outcomes of new media, encouraging a much more ‘interactive’ user experience.  Finally Anthony Rose informed us all how the BBC are being driven by new media, hitting home on the point that more information can lead to more misery, and its up to service providers, such as the BBC, to provide new ways of giving people what they want.

So where is the future? Digital Utopia, in my opinion, is not quite upon us.  However, it can not be ignored that the current generation have a huge resource in terms of the internet, a resource which can be used for many purposes.  There is clearly a role for both the individual and the big business in this new market place, and with more choice, it will be up to business to develop a trust with the consumer when filtering information, and for the indviduals to continue to provide fresh, factual and interesting content.

We live in interesting times, and while I was not quite a 90’s child, I’m certainly looking forward to the developments ahead!  I’m the first Graduate Apprentice to blog my year, the first of many I hope.