It’s Friday. And on Fridays, I like to start my day off with reading something that will renew my energy, and get me thinking creatively, as I feel as though Monday through Thursday has exhausted me. Well, this morning, I read a combination of things that made me wonder what could potentially be a very telling, and destructive, question for thousands of internet dwellers like myself. Is social networking doomed to become like bottled water, or is it a business that is destined to thrive like ice cream flavors?

I know, deep stuff. You might be asking at this point, what in the world I’m talking about. Social networking is an online method of bringing together like-minded people… ultimately through computers, which crash if they spilled on by bottled water, or by melted ice cream. This is true. But what is also true about social networking, is that it’s growing, and expanding, and finding new legs every day.

Here is the challenge. In a world of online craze and dependency, two things can happen with the future of social networks. They can continue to multiply, each with different audiences, with different names, difference attributes, but all ultimately seeking the same result. In this scenario, those who were at first dominating (myspace, facebook), are now just another choice. AKA…Water Bottles. Take your pick on the shelves, they are all just about the same, without a dominating #1 seller. OR, facebook and myspace can continue to be #1 and #2, and can continue to make all emerging social networks obsolete, sharing between them less than 40% of the of market. AKA…Ice cream flavors. No matter what other new flavors are discovered or marketed, vanilla will always be #1.

So, for your Friday, chew on this. How will social networking be molded over the next 5 years? Like bottled water or like ice cream? My guess is as good as yours.

ape