How Finicky We Social Networkers Are

Remember Myspace and Tom? Tom was the guy everyone added on the once popular social networking site, which has become a virtual dust bowl, with a shadow of its former user base.

Recently, Digg was dismantled – literally, as parts of it were sold off to various bidders, from the media and private corporations.

Eight-year-old Digg also once was a giant among social networking sites, but as the lawyers dig through the company’s bits and pieces, it too will slowly vanish into the night.

Is it that Myspace and Digg really lost focus, and could not keep up with Facebook, Yahoo and newcomers like Google+?

Or, are attention spans to short online, and we’re only really interested in the next big thing?

Technology is a wonderful thing, but all too often what we once thought of as amazing eventually becomes horrible gone wrong, as newer things – that do the same thing – shine brighter.

Myspace and Digg did the same things most of the other social networks do – they bring complete strangers together, sharing ideas and stories about the world we live in through the multimedia universe of the worldwide web.

Each social network has its own identity in a way – how you share content and connect with people on each is different – but generally they all serve the same purpose and function.

We are driven to the latest greatest thing.

Why?

Perhaps, it’s because the vast majority of social networking users are younger generations, raised on a fast-paced high tech diet that teaches “new is good,” and “old is bad?”

When the new iPhone 4s came out with Siri, everyone just had to have it. Then Samsung came out with the Galaxy S III, and everyone just had to have that.

They are both smartphones with cool features, and boundless apps. But alas, only one thing can ever be the newest thing.

Just ask Einstein about time and space.

Though what usually spells the beginning of the end for a social network isn’t the sudden rush of its users to the latest newest social network. Nope, usually the final dagger is jabbed by the outgoing social network itself.

As Myspace’s users started to leave en mass to join Facebook, Myspace began introducing new features and even re-designed their layout. Their new features were buggy, their customer support was non-existent, and so they actually drove the few stragglers away to the other social networks.

Digg went through a similar set of disturbing changes – as people lost interest in the site, they made many changes, which fell far short of winning back users.

And now, Digg is being broken up, sold off in pieces like an old car is sold off for spare parts.

But the real reason social networks fail is because we lack the attention span to stay with them. Which makes you wonder – will the almighty Facebook be around in ten years?