One of the most common misconceptions about the Internet is that it’s a technology revolution. While the Internet would not be possible without revolutionary new technologies, the colloquial Internet is actually a social revolution.
Humanity has a fundamental desire to communicate ideas and events. Recent studies found that 80% of human communication is gossip. This stat is easily confirmed by anyone who spends time in Internet chat rooms or forums.
Technology is not driving social change. Social change is driving technology. This distinction is the key to understanding what nascent technologies will catch on and drive the convergence of related technologies in the near future.
From the perspective of the emerging uber movement (environmental + social justice + spiritual), the next big thing in social technology will be apps that put relevant and highly contextualized actions in front of users.
Right now, there is a glut of charities and campaigns telling people what to do to green up their lives and treat their fellow global citizens with a bit more compassion. The problem is not what can be done to improve the world but how to make actions highly personal and relevant.
New initiatives like the Open Action Network and Personal Data Stores are taking the first steps towards bridging the gap between our digital lives and our actions in the real world.
Here are a couple of videos to help put the Internet as social revolution in perspective…
