The Prospects for Consumer-Oriented Social Media

Background and Purpose: The term ‘social media’ refers to a cluster of applications and online services that support human interaction and content broadcasting and sharing. Current services are isolated islands or ‘walled gardens’, and are based on a business model that is highly exploitative of individuals and their data. Design/Methodology/Approach: Surveys of the refereed literature have been undertaken on several occasions during the period 2012-13. Reviews were conducted of social media services that are reasonably described as ‘consumer-oriented’. Media reports on those services were uncovered. The available information was then subjected to analysis, including reflection based on prior research conducted by the author. Results: Required characteristics of consumer-oriented social media, and barriers to emergence and adoption of such services were identified. That provided a basis for proposing means to overcome those barriers. Key impediments to the emergence of such services were identified, and means of overcoming the impediments outlined. Conclusion: An alternative, consumer-oriented approach is feasible, involving open architecture, inter-operability and portability features, fair terms and privacy-sensitivity.