The thing about ephemeral social media

iS-500 APX100 RodinalSt 016, originally uploaded by Ian Tindale.

By ephemeral social media, I mean things like status messages, tweets, etc. The ingredient that makes them work is a small granular satisfaction event formed by completing a loop through the transmission of the content of your output, the reception of your output by someone to whom it might mean something, and the completion of that loop by the overt recognition afforded by the receiver. It is all the more enhanced when the receiver turns out to be of a “high profile” category, such as an important person in an industry or trade, or a “famous” person. The individually crafted recognition is valuable, yet still ephemeral, although it might seem to have contributed to a tangible change or adjustment in the course of the output of that other party, thanks to something you said.

In this respect, it is very similar to a phone-in radio show, and the personable nature of response afforded by those social media matches the similar kind of dynamic represented by a radio station and the presenter, in broadcasting. It is just about as important — and no more.