The emergence of non-engagement - the antithesis of social media

If the principals of social media are engagement, conversation and relationship; then the justification is to determine who influences you and who you influence.

As a business I can collect your data and from the analysis of your and others data work out the ‘influences’ then I should be able to use you (if you are susceptible) to spread my brand and sales messages.  Whilst this may be the new business model that is utilising your data, it is not far from original principles but the important change is this is now occurs in real-time and I can measure every part/ action/ re-action/ click of it – obviously taking into account that measuring may actually cause an effect.

Marketing demands your attention however it looks like we are doing far more things at the same time.... +watching TV +browsing +IM. Therefore with the emergence of more screens (technology/ devices) to interact with all at the same time, are we now in a continual state of shared-engagement and shared attention.  This shared position is because of social media and the tools, but therefore destroys the very principles that underpinned it was created for.   As user become more in control, does that mean we are in more control of what we want or does it become like old media where a few voices become very loud and we start the whole cycle again?