Social Media Schizophrenia in 2011?

Somehow it seems necessary to speak to the fact that another year has passed. By now, you might have noticed the typical do's and don't lists, trends of 2010 or what to expect in 2011 and expert opinions on all matters. At some level, it is charming to sit back and glance over how we fared during the year and perhaps, these markers help us move forward. At times, even inspire or motivate us to be better.

So here we are and I have perused over a bunch of such lists over various channels and what I found interesting enough to report to you is the following.

David Armano who blogs for the Harvard Business Review, predicts what trends we'll witness in the social media realm in 2011 and in one of his assertions claims:

"Average Participants Experience Social Media Schizophrenia: While social media schizophrenia (the overload of multiple social profiles) is nothing new to tech mavens, it will become something that more and more "average" users experience as they tweet, Facebook, G-mail, chat, Skype, BBM, SMS, and Tumble their way across the social web. While many mavens have adopted ways to manage and cope, average users may find themselves at the beginning of the curve in need of a 12-step social identity program. This may lead to increased demand from typical participants to have a more integrated and simplified social graph and an opportunity for platforms and companies alike to meet this demand."

Well it certainly caught my attention- the use of an interesting term such as, "social media schizophrenia" and I would like to extend these questions to all social media users.

• Do you feel overwhelmed because of the numerous social media networks you are a part of?

• Do you plan on curtailing usage or choosing a few favourites while doing away with the rest?

• How important is the amount of information you share and with whom you share it?

• Do you agree with Armano when he says that social media schizophrenia will be a trend in the upcoming year?

What ever happened to traditional New Year's resolutions where people were mostly concerned with losing weight and not losing their minds? It seems a bit paranoid to associate social media with a serious ailment; a good catchphrase which should not undermine the seriousness of the disease itself or lend itself to such an analogy .

However, we have almost made it to 2011 and what better way to find out what happens than to step into it. May you find yourselves happy and healthy amongst all your friends and your social network. Happy New Year!

Photo Credit: Tony Hisgett