I hereby declare the Hippie Web dead.
2008, I described the social web as the “Hippie Web.” I thought it was funny, and somehow it stuck.
We were social media evangelists, and some of us, myself included, were perhaps a little too… enthusiastic.
But what can I say?
We were hippies. Social media hippies.
We even had our version of Woodstock in Sweden in 2009—Sweden Social Media Web Camp.
But what began for us in Jaiku must come to an end.
Here we go:
The Social Media Hippie Club
Getting to experience the advent of social media has been a privilege. I’ve met so many new friends — and many wonderful weirdos. It has been a ride.
But you know things are destined to end when you start hearing people talk along these lines:
“I accept all friend requests, and you should, too. All you need is love!”
“You just got retweeted. It’s the universe paying it forward. Savour it, and then pay it back.”
“Don’t say IRL because which reality is more real? You must say AFK instead.” 1AFK = “Away From Keyboard,” obviously.
“I have thousands of followers. I wouldn’t call myself Jesus, but he had twelve, right?”
“Yes, we have an unconference, and everyone is welcome. Word to the wise: don’t use your AFK name around here.”
“Where’s your scarf? No disrespect, but you look corporate.”
“I met a traditional company yesterday. My gosh. They have no idea what’s going on.”
Maybe there’s a time for everything.
And maybe the time for the Hippie Web is over.
Read also: Enter the Money Web (2016-Present)
Declaring the Hippie Web Dead
(Almost) everyone I know who started a blog has given up long ago. Only a few soldiers remain — for whatever mysterious reason.
In the wake of the Hippie Web, no one cares about how many followers you have on Twitter or what your Klout score is supposed to be.
The Cluetrain Manifesto is also about to be forgotten.
No one will miss this psychedelic wonderland brimming with naïveté and social media optimism — except for us hippies.
The social media influencers, the glossy fashionistas with their daily outfits and their parties and VIP invitations, are already negotiating with their agents regarding their next brand collaboration. Ad revenues, giveaways, corporate freebies, brand deals, and collaborations. Fair game.
Businesses will likely ease their way out and divert their focus onto e‑commerce, online marketing, and digital transformation. In social media, they’ll probably leave a lonely communicator behind to fend for themselves as best they can.
And who amongst us in the general public will have the unyielding energy to continue excessively posting, discussing, and sharing on social media? Not the finest of people, I would guess.
Read also: Social Media Fakers — Oh, They Seem So Perfect Online
Love, Sharing, and Jaiku
The irony is that I feel no bitterness, no resentment. It had to end eventually. I will deeply miss some aspects of the Hippie Web. Other aspects? Not so much. Frankly, it was time.
As we, the self-proclaimed social media naturals, move on from singing Kumbaya on our unconferences to perhaps more commercial endeavours, just let me say this in honour of this bygone era:
Let’s never forget that the bottom line of social media is all about one thing — connecting human beings.
And Jaiku, of course.
Peace out!
THANKS FOR READING.
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Annotations
| 1 | AFK = “Away From Keyboard,” obviously. |
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