Over the next few months, I will be publishing a new series focusing on the next stage of the Internet and what it means for those of us involved in communicating about health and 
wellness. Although the daily (and hourly) march of technological progress is difficult to keep up with, it is important to take time to think ahead and anticipate where the Web is going. Why is this important? Well, thinking about the future helps us stay ahead of the curve rather than behind it. It also prepares us (i.e., health marketing communications professionals) to leverage new channels and ways of consuming and thinking about content that will emerge over the next three to five years.
The framework for this series is based on a number of conclusions I have made about where the Web is going based on extensive analysis of current data on Internet trends, consumer behavior, media consumption habits and other information sources. It is also shaped by Jonathan Zittrain’s excellent book, “The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It.” Following is an overview of some of my current thinking on the future of the Web:
- Although the 1990s and 2000s were shaped by the “wisdom of the crowd,” the 2010s will be marked by the “wisdom of the [distributed] expert.” That is, the (few) people and organizations dedicated to creating and curating online information will have great influence on the vast majority of people who are less interested in creating content than consuming it.
- The mobile Web will help to ease traditional problems we have faced in terms of access to digital technologies. However, as illustrated by the rise of the iPad, iPhone and other mobile devices, the “PC” of the future may be:
- Safer and more controlled: People may move toward preferring computing devices that are more akin to what Zittrain calls tethered appliances than traditional PCs which offer great flexibility, but are more vulnerable to attack and corruption
- Top down rather than bottom up: The rise of the application through which content is piped to the masses rather than “found” via active use of search engines may help revitalize industries that have not done well well over the past few years (major media companies, etc.)
- Less private: Mobile devices (via GPS location and other tools) are much easier to track and monitor than PCs and online traffic. What are the implications for those organizations seeking to leverage the mobile Web for health-related applications?
- Diversity in location, language and ethnicity will be the norm, not the exception: China has more Internet users than the U.S., Hispanics and African Americans are highly likely to be early rather than late adopters of technological tools — especially those accessible via mobile. These demographic and geographic realities will force health communicators to broaden their thinking and perspectives in order to effectively persuade and inform the public.
I’m looking forward to presenting my thoughts on the Internet’s next stage. As we go through this series, I hope you challenge my thinking and engage me in conversation about my conclusions and the trends I outline on this blog. However, before moving forward, I thought it would be important to provide you with a list of resources that might be helpful to those following along this series. Most of these resources are located on the Path of the Blue Eye Project’s online community and social news site, the NewsHub. I encourage you to review these resources and refer to both of these online properties often. Living the Path is updated several times a week with data, insights, analysis and other information that will help you excel. See below for a listing of key resources.
Topic: The Next Stage of the Web
- The Future of the Web and How to Stop It, Jonathan Zittrain
- Review of Zittrain’s “Future of the Internet”, The Technology Liberation Front
Topic: The Rise of the Digital Curator
- The Content Strategist as Digital Curator, A List Apart
- The Next Big Trend? It’s All About Curation, the Steve Rubel Lifestream
Topic: The Primacy of the Content Consumer (In many cases, people prefer to consume rather than create content)
- The Internet Has More Influence Over Consumer Health Actions than Traditional DTC Channels, Med Ad News
- The Social Life of Health Information, Pew Internet & American Life Project (Note how few people create content via social media)
- Why Content Rules Online, Living the Path Wiki Article/Analysis
- People With Chronic Medical Conditions Less Likely to use Web, But Are Heavy Participants in Online Discussions, Living the Path Data Summary (it appears that those with chronic conditions are more likely to create content)
Topic: The Rise of the Mobile Web
- Morgan Stanley Analysis Reveals Growth of Global Internet, Suggests Mobile Web Will Be Dominant in 5 Years, Living the Path Data Summary
- Digital Divide Does Not Apply to the Mobile Web, Living the Path Data Summary
- Americans Surfing the Mobile Web Nearly 3 Hours Per Day, Living the Path Data Summary
- Report: The Smartphone Will be the “Wellness Delivery Channel” of the Future, Living the Path Data Summary
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