The Transformation of the Internet to Person-Centered Interactions

Charlie Beckett and the London School of Economics present a talk by Sheryl Sandberg, the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Sandberg offers a few jokes about the horrors of life before the internet, but she then delves into the internet as it was known and used in the very beginning. Early web-based experiences offered almost complete anonymity, and the internet was used primarily for research and information gathering. While question-based exploring does still occur, the transformation from informative internet to social internet has been accompanied by a behavioral change from searching to sharing.

According to Sandberg, social networks have truly personalized the internet. The identity created by the user is a real person choosing to divulge the information of his or her choice with other real people. Additionally, the relationships between these people are very real, rather than the anonymous sharing of the past.

The increasing popularity of social media connectivity has led to new developments in multiple industries looking to take advantage of the digital age. Rather than the information or a product being the primary focus of business initiatives, businesses must become more conscious of people because the internet is now about what people share and how people share other people. The tremendous new ability to organize on such a grand scale has put even more pressure on businesses.

The popularity of social media networks, including the internationally favored Facebook, has prompted the creation of new business models looking to take advantage of new social options. As Sandberg said, it is now all about people.

Keep up with new videos daily through RSS or Email