I went to a show and it took all my willpower to refrain from dipping into my pocket and checking my iPhone.
Whilst I used to check e-mails or texts, now in my fingertips I hold a personal link to the entire world, and this has changed not only my behavior, but that of the entire globe.
About the only way I get a “digital free” period or day is when I am in the air (and that will soon change) or camping (but I don’t do camping).
There’s nothing wrong with this new paradigm and it’s never going away, it’s only going to intensify.
Before this occurred we were never at the heart of the action. In fact, we had to leave home to participate. Now we can not only watch TV in our lairs, we can surf, hook up dates and dig deep down into our personal interests, chatting with those like-minded all the while.
Today people won’t leave their house without their device. Everybody you ever knew is at your fingertips. You’re more socially engaged than ever before. You can buy goods at the lowest possible price without living in Los Angeles or Tokyo .Virtual connection is a panacea that brings whole nations together and fosters revolutions, and this is good.
In other words, expect people to continue to take photos at the gig. To dial their friends and have them listen in. To check their timeline or feed while the music plays. Because what’s happening in your world is more important than what’s happening on stage.
If you wish to create an online community putting your fan primary does not mean paying lip service to those adhered to you. No, it means giving them artwork and or free music and snippets of information and experiences, that they revel in, believing they’re truly your best friend.
Yes, the world has been flattened. Everybody’s equal. And if you don’t embrace this, you’re going to get mowed down.
And it all started with the Internet.
But the final link was the mobile phone. Because suddenly we can take our world with us. Blackberry didn’t realize this and died. It ‘ s not solely about email, we want EVERYTHING at our fingertips, we never want to encounter a technical glitch, to have a problem with your mobile phone is akin to having a problem with your body, something that is completely untenable.
And it’s only going to become more so. We’re all connected, we’re all primary, and it all happens on the mobile.
The clock ain’t turning back.
