My close friend in her mid-20s is teaching a journalism class to high school students, using SnapChat. I've been fascinated by the student's perspective. They all use Snapchat.
One of the most interesting responses I heard what that Snapchat was what they used to connect with people they didnt know too well, but wanted to stay in touch with. For example, if they meet someone, but dont know them too well, they would exchange Snapchat information. It is literally like Facebook was for the last generation.
>It is literally like Facebook was for the last generation.
This makes a lot of sense. I was starting college in 2005 when facebook was really starting to blow up, and this was exactly how I used (and enjoyed) it. There were times when I would just flip through the directory of people in my college and if I recognized your face from class or walking around, I'd add you, send a few messages to break the ice, then meet in person if it felt like we connected.
If anyone else is like me and started with facebook around this time and still has their profile, take a look at some of the posts and friends you had from over 10 years ago. It's pretty remarkable to get such a look at your younger self.
It looks like anyone can create new myspace, facebook, snapchat, twitter, instagram, ... as long as they time it right with the previous one running out of steam and make it faster to interact with. I'm not sure what can be faster than snapchat though - live stream?
Has to be something that lets you fix it up and present your "best self"; looking cooler then you really are in a critical component of any social network.
A direct neural interface, paired to a bi-directional low latency satellite feed.
That way users can see,hear,smell,feel & taste everything that their friends are experiencing .... simultaneously, and in real time. Continuously, all day, everyday.
it already started happening - we're all paying attention to it and I bet more than half the people here are trying to work out how to make money from it.
Once the service obtains requirement status. Where everyone joins it becomes more real and more serious. E-Mail is serious, Facebook is serious, LinkedIn is serious but Snapchat is still innocent and fun.
Adding adults to a service is the sure fire way to run off the children.
One of the most interesting responses I heard what that Snapchat was what they used to connect with people they didnt know too well, but wanted to stay in touch with. For example, if they meet someone, but dont know them too well, they would exchange Snapchat information. It is literally like Facebook was for the last generation.