Social Media Sharing & The Value Of Immediacy

When it comes to social media, we’re always looking for new ways to share what we’re doing, and to see what everyone else is doing too. We might say it’s because of human nature and our inbred curiosity and even our desire for superiority– to have the most followers, likes, or comments on our blogs and statuses.

Now, though, it’s also about pinpointing exactly where we are and what we’re doing. It’s about how we share information, where we share it from, and how we can link these together into a tweet or status, which I’d like to add, is done rather conveniently from outside platforms (think Foursquare and GetGlue). The result is a unique, new spin on immediacy, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Most websites, blogs and social media platforms have accessible sharing buttons now.

It’s easy to understand why, too.

With real time updates on any given platform, we’ll always be looking for more information than what we’re already receiving, just to keep the updates fresh and because of human nature. And we want to know what the current trends are. As I’ve already mentioned, the specifics, i.e., the actions we take when sharing something are key because they humanize our digital experiences and make our information that much more appealing.

So really, it’s no wonder that action buttons on Facebook like “read” and the apps they’re adding to integrate more action words will be a hit. I must admit, I’m excited to be able to say on Facebook soon that I “nommed” a burrito from my favorite Mexican restaurant. The best part is, I’ll be able to say that, while simultaneously checking in on foursquare and tagging my friends who’ve joined me.

When you think about it, our progression towards further, open communication throughout the history of mankind has always focused on immediacy. When it comes to speed, letters were triumphed by the telegraph, just as newspapers were triumphed by the radio and television, which are now all triumphed by the Internet.

As individuals, we’ve headed in this direction, too. We’re triumphing the speed at which we share how we live our lives by letting everyone know what’s happened before they can see us again. And, with a little more detail and speed every time.

Image Credits: [Optify] [Digital Burson-Marsteller]