What next?
Leave the World Behind.
“Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke, the apocalyptic thriller from Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail tells the story of two families as they fight for survival amid an inexplicable blackout. Only one thing’s for sure: There is no going back to normal. Technology is mysteriously on the fritz, and the deer around the families’ Long Island hideout are acting strange.”
https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/leave-the-world-behind-release-date-photos
Previous predictions list 2023; COURTSHIP | 2022; CONTENT | 2021; CALM | 2020; CURIOUS | 2019; CHILL | 2018; CONSUMERS | 2017; COMMUNITY | 2016; CRUSADE | 2015; CHUCKLE | 2014; CRUSADE | 2013; CONFIDENCE | 2012; CONVERSATION | 2011; COMMENCING
People have been conjuring ideas in their heads for years. Who was it that said, “no idea is ever new!”? Was it Ron, my co-author? Some ideas make it out into the world for conversation or pleasure. Others don’t for good reason. I can almost feel a collective sigh when someone comes up with a new idea. Especially when we are all trying to cope with a world which is still processing the trauma and grief of what we have all just gone through. Pandemics. Denial. Anger. Has anyone noticed the road rage? The domestic violence? Was it there before? Or are we all just so acutely aware of each other now that we SEE it. I know it’s always been there for me as I was surrounded by it from childhood… but it’s unusual seeing it so exposed.
The pandemic changed us, and some are coping better than others. It’s true. Bound by local, impacted by global.
The theory tells us that the concept of social media may extend beyond traditional platforms, with experiences gate crashing work life and the entertainment sectors. With movies on Netflix such as Roberts latest, I would politely suggest our gate crashing has happened. But then, I would also suggest we are in a “lull” when it comes to personal social media – or online activity. Perhaps we’re just letting it happen to us in full acceptance mode?
The evolution of technology and societal needs will likely shape a social media landscape that goes far beyond what we currently conceive, true. However, we are a little way off the impact at a local (personal) level. Have you noticed how bare your news feed is? How little people post these days? Where are they you ask? My assertion is they’ve been reading those affirmations posted these past years and have gone fishing. Who caught a big one? We probably won’t know about it via social media… however I would suggest we purchased a lot of the gear online – and were attracted by the ads after talking about our planned trip. Yep, we all be shopping online after seeing those influencers sharing their gear. Truth.
If we did post, it was probably a quick 30 or 90 second video sharing the excitement. Now, with our 2023 Merriam-Webster Word of the Year being “Authentic”, a video is a hard one to fake, unless you’re using “Bold Glamour” on TicToc (but that’s generally just for laughs, right?).
>> Riiiiiiiiiight.
As a result of the economic situation, businesses increasingly cut budgets throughout 2023. Thought leadership campaigns helped increase market share and built trust, as according to the Edelman study, “More than half of decision-makers say that during an economic downturn, it’s essential that non-critical suppliers produce high-quality thought leadership if they want to earn business.”
But it’s an earned strategy… and not easily earnt!
There’s the emphasis for a return of social learning which (we all know) requires specific considerations. Mainly, why are you here? The purpose for generating discussions around topics to enable learning is not something that is going to happen immediately, so to keep your conversation active you still must practice basic social media rules of engagement. Once your page is one that people return to, your engagement levels for the social learning outcomes will increase. But what if they’ve all gone fishing? It’s a case of “tell them on the road”. Yes, ‘word of mouth’ is certainly having a resurgence. The back lash of war torn countries, too many deaths and negative news stories have certainly turned many away. The reality is that most content on the internet is quite repetitive, negative and doesn’t inspire original thoughts.
And in our “new world”, this is exactly what the community needs to survive. Inspiration from those close to us.
Image used: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/galleries/leave-the-world-behind-first-look?mediaIndex=0
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