2011 versus 2017: much the same but social media is omnipresent and not so subtly powerful

Pontifications

I was involved in a mobile study group in 2011 where we talked about our commutes and our use of smart phones
We met yesterday 6 years later! And we were struck by how things have changed.
Some differences:
- In 2011, social media was fluffy and seemingly inconsequential.
- Now in 2017, it seems it’s very substantial and it has been gamed by the behavioral scientists and their bots and it is not so subtly powerful e.g.: Brexit, the Filipino and American elections. (SRI and the military-industrial-behavioral-advertising complex “on steroids”).
- In 2011 we’d surf to websites looking for restaurants, now google maps and other apps tell us via notifications and when you open them which restaurants nearby are recommended instead of us going to the web
- Nobody else in 2011 or 2017 wears a phone around the neck and takes pictures from their bicycle :-)
- Bluetooth headsets are finally cool in 2017 (they were dorky in 2011) thanks to Apple’s AirPod.
- Blackberry is dead in 2017; in 2011 it seemed like they might have a chance.
- It was already clear in 2011 that Nokia was dead; it’s hilarious that Nokia is trying to come back.
- In 2011 we didn’t have transient disappearing media like Instagram Stories and Snapchat; now that’s how a lot of people communicate!
- In 2011 it wasn’t apparent that photos and videos would become the language of pop culture; in 2017 a photo or video-less post like this is only for old f*rts :-)