The Growth of the Mobile Market and What this means for Social Media

Microsoft came out with an "infographic" offering some fascinating statistics on the mobile market. Data included the number of people who have smart phones, what demographic is the most active in mobile socialization, and more.

As the charts show, the size of the world's mobile market is 4 billion, and of that, 1.08 billion are smartphones and 3.05 are SMS enabled. Microsoft also claims that by 2014, mobile internet should take over desktop internet usage! 91% of mobile internet access is used for socializing on sites like Twitter and Facebook, compared to only 79% on desktops. Furthermore, over 1/3 of Facebook's 600 million users choose to use Facebook mobile; of Twitter's 165 million users, 50% of them use Twitter mobile. A whopping 200+ million views on YouTube occur on mobile devices every day. And, to my surprise, women between the ages of 35-54 are the most active group in mobile socialization.

So what does this mean for the future of social media? As the mobile market keeps expanding, these statistics indicate that it is likely social media will rise with it. In addition, the mobile market and social media have changed the fabric of society: today's society is geared heavily towards instant gratification. Everyone constantly has their cell phones with them, which means that they are able to communicate instantaneously, as well as update others on what they're doing instantaneously. In addition, they're able to receive their news instantaneously and post their own news selections to their Twitters or Facebooks.

The mobile market and social media have changed the way that society works. For example, even grocery shopping isn't the same; people can order their groceries from their phones and have them delivered to their front door. As the infographic shows, mobile tags can serve up coupons that can be redeemed instantaneously in store, and 29% of mobile users are open to scanning a mobile tag to get coupons. Grocery shopping is no longer just a boring activity; it has become yet another social activity. Today, you can post your grocery purchases to Facebook, thereby sharing more information about yourself and your food preferences to your friends. You could also share which coupons you're using to help friends save money. Mobile phones and social media are making it possible to share even the most mundane aspects of your life with your social network.

Another example: mobile phones and social media have changed parenting -- which is one guess as to why women between the ages of 35-54 are the most active group in mobile socialization. Thanks to technology, mothers can text their children, follow them on Twitter, check out their Facebooks, and more in order to keep tabs on them.

What does all of this virtual interaction mean for the society of the future? Although consumer culture may thrive with these technological advances, what will happen to interpersonal interactions? Will there be lasting repercussions from the shift away from in-person conversations, where gauging body language, eye contact, tone of voice, etc. is vital? Today, you can get a fairly detailed view of somebody else's life by looking through their Facebook page; you can see their photos with other friends, read status updates on what they're doing and feeling, and see what television show they're watching -- all without having to speak a word to that person. Humans have evolved biologically to feel rewarded by tangible interactions with other humans -- as we move towards a deeper integration of technology (especially social media) with society, will we therefore become somehow less human?