I recently presented a webinar with the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), “The Medium Is NOT the Message: Social Media Analytics Deliver Insights Beyond Social Monitoring.” It’s a play on Marshall McLuhan’s famous statement that “the medium is the message.” And, really, I don’t disagree with his assessment that the characteristics of any substantial media channel [...]

Romance, travel, money, and drama. The world of social media has it all.

The effects are undeniable. People are social by nature. The ways in which we communicate with one another are changing. Social media makes us more efficient (or less productive, depending on the individual) and big companies are taking advantage.

It seems like Facebook and Twitter are everywhere: TV, movies, car shows, even retirement homes. Despite all the news, not all is well in the world of social media — once-blue skies go cloudy, as privacy and security concerns continue run rampant.

Sometimes enhancements, updates, accolades, and coordination aren’t necessarily good things. Social continues to march on, but are we getting smarter or just more emotional?

The big players are getting bigger, but we’re worried about security, privacy, and the government AND we’re getting nickel-and-dimed to death in the process.