Now that everyone is empowered with the tools necessary to share and have their opinions heard, we're all making the most of it. Whereas we previously needed to ACTUALLY be an expert in a field, now the entire internet has become a peanut gallery of experts hawking suggestions for everything from how to raise your children to the best way to blow up a balloon.
Admittedly, I'm alive and well trumpeting loudly from the back of this same peanut gallery with the misconceived notion that
you actually care about what I have to say. Voyeurism used to be a bad thing...now we promote our own.
The function of social media for companies is clear. Ditch the market research and speak directly with consumers themselves. No one disputes this, though I feel like they should. How many great products will go undeveloped because a vocal minority on twitter kills the idea out of the gate. Just because you would never purchase an automatic diaper wrapper as it "demeans the essence of early parenthood" doesn't mean that someone else out there wouldn't.
We all take the approach that "no one else can speak for me", yet somehow we're perfectly content speaking for others. If I had my way, Crocs would be dead and so would those bug-eyed mantis sunglasses that women think make them look attractive. Alas, I'm wrong on both accounts since both are a feeding frenzy in their respective markets. (Then again, I've only seen children in Crocs and those sunglasses on the girls who have better things to do than defend their merit via Facebook post.)
Either way, I guess that as long as there's a forum in which to share our lives, thoughts, and opinions, we will engage them. After all, we will
always continue to talk as long as there is someone willing to listening.
