Is The Social Networking Tech Bubble Bursting?

Social networking has been all the rage for nearly five years. It's been an easy way for people to keep up with their friends and family, network with business contacts, and reconnect with old friends and lovers. The multi purpose feature of such sites has many wondering if the popularity of it will ever wear off. While most say no it won't, a small number of people are starting to perpetuate the idea that the tech bubble for social-network has burst. That soon the phenomenon will be just another fading Internet fad. But the reality begs to differ. Most everyone checks their Facebook or their Twitter these days. More specialized networking sites, such as Goodreads, allow users to build social relationships based solely on a shared interest.

If one had to forecast the actual future of social networking, it would be more of a case of increased specialization rather than fading interest. See, Web 2.0 as many people like to call it, allows one to develop closer and more personal relationships with people that share a common interest. Rather than attend a 10 year high school reunion, it's also a great way for you to keep up with your friends and family. The convenience of social sites has enhanced the Internet in a unique and unchangeable way. It is not a fad, but an evolution. But all evolutions change. That's what makes them evolutions. So what is the future of social websites?

In simple terms, the future is now. More specialty social networking sites that serves as offshoots and allow individuals to connect with a broader base of people that share the same common interests with one another. Companies are already creating their own social networking sites so that the reach of their employees may go much further than it already does. The hope is to build cohesion across all levels of business. Book readers and movie watchers are growing closer together from the use of sites, such as the aforementioned Goodreads and Flickchart, respectively. People have seen what Web 2.0 is capable of, and they like it.

Another evolution of the technology is that major social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter will start to take a page from Google +. They will make it easier for individuals to group their contacts into certain levels (i.e. family and friends, co-workers, marketing contacts, etc). By doing so, social networking will allow individuals to keep the various sections of their lives as separate from one another as possible. It's all about user convenience and privacy. As social networking continues to make strides forward, expect great things in both the business and personal senses. That's social networking, and that's the future.