Social Media Differentiation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBbZgJey2Fg

I found this video on YouTube whilst researching social networks. It demonstrates that some forms of social media have evolved into a hybrid form. An example is 'bebo', which I originally categorised as a communicative form of social media, however unlike Facebook and MySpace, it also has ties with open media. This allows users to search through videos, music and other clips posted through open media channels, but also have their own profile for personal expression and networking. This differentiates the site from Facebook and multimedia sites such as YouTube by offering both entertainment and access to online communities/a space for personal expression and collective intelligence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

This is another clip that explains the emerging social media channel 'Twitter' into Australians everyday lives. I am still not sold on the usefulness of this concept. To me it just full fills peoples psychological need for connection, gossip and involvement. It's design does however fit nicely with the growing popularity of mobile technologies, spurred by the release of the iPhone in 2008. This design of short updates is another form of differentiation from the larger scaled Facebook. Where 'bebo' has broadened users reach, 'Twitter' has narrowed the focus.