What's Next?

It comes down to this: TMZ is back to reporting about Larry King outraged over a panhandler's second request, the whereabouts of Michael Jackson's body are still unknown and in the aftermath of yesterday's news hoopla, today is a slow, slow news day. So we wait, because that is what we now do. We wait for the next big story (NBS) and in the meantime, we have Facebook, where anybody can become a star, of sorts.
Facebook has done wonders in bringing people together. Friends, long thought missing in action resurface, family members are discovered and new friends are added on a daily basis. All the while, people feel the need to comment on their every action and thought as though they were of some universal importance. People announce where and who they are having dinner with (almost as if inviting the rest of along) and where. In an age of celebrity, the Internet has afforded all of us a sense of celebrity: the smallest detail of our daily lives is revealed. This used to be called journaling, but it has moved way beyond that for even among the most Thomas Wolfeian among us, the details are staggering. A soured economy could be to blame—people have a lot of time on their hands. On certain socio-political blogs, it is not uncommon to find the same people commenting day in and day out. They are professional commentors, people who on a daily basis comment on every story. These "discussions" usually end in a bitchy crossfire of accusations and threats directed towards someone in particular, because if the truth be told, no one wants to muddle through a series of comments where the reality is NO ONE IS LISTENING.

Facebook may be killing the blogs
We used to wake and read the newspaper, watch the morning news and then move to our computers to read our favorite blog. Nowadays, we wake to FB because if anything of any importance is happening, people will surely be remarking about it. Instead, for the most part, we find out what our friends are eating for breakfast, what their day look likes and "what is on their mind". It's almost like living together.
This too will grow tired in time, and a new kind of stimulation will be required. It's most likely form will be video. That's right, instead of just being able to comment on your life, you will be able to reveal it, visually. We won't just read about your walk with the dog in the park, we will be able to experience it. Every leg lifting moment will be recorded via your cell phone as the gentle sounds of the park can be heard in the background. People will become in essence, broadcasters. Marketing companies will shortly take notice and the more popular of the broadcasts will have commercials. The economy and the Internet in particular will restore itself to pre-Obama greed levels and America and the world will experience a blush of good times.
It is bound to happen. Technology abhors stagnation, it doesn't sell. And with any new thing, its novelty wears off in timetime. We will be seeing you, soon enough.