Oh boy, deep breath.

I propose that the only boundaries that the concept of “Social Media” has lowered is the boundary to speak at an academic convention at the University of Oxford. I also propose that, thanks to internet-enabled back channels, that the notion of speakers at the Oxford Social Media convention is completely defunct – as I believe that any person in attendance would have been able to stand up on a panel, and discussed their personal reflections about the Internet, Web 2.0 and Social Media – with the same disregard for critical reflection, evidence and even bloody creativity.

For me, the best events (that have social media in the title) are the ones that are deliberate cross-breeds.

Scientists experimenting different free platforms to disseminate and share information and knowledge, hearing someone from the NHS discussing the issues around general computer use (blocks, fails and lack of integration into their daily job roles) – or listening to artists discussing the creative uses of technology within their work and methods in which they can connect to create and collaborate. Some brief examples of the the top of my head which, for me, would provide  a much deeper value and context to the general (and down right predictable) blabber of how someone occasionally uses twitter, or maybe think journalism is rubbish because they prefer watching youtube. I KNOW THIS – WE ALL KNOW THIS. RADIO1 knows this, my local paper knows this, my mum knows this and she can’t be arsed with it. It’s superficial until proven otherwise.

Why not talk to the editor of a local paper about how he feels about corperate smoozy types telling him how to do his job (and therefore saving the apparent decline of news) by demanding that his writers blog? Or ask lecturers how they feel about forcing their students to join second life instead of meeting up in real life? Or local councillors, who despite best efforts using twitter (and the apparent OBAMA effect… T_T), still have to sit in an empty church hall in case one wee old dear turns up to discuss local issues.

Look, we’re not lowering the barriers to entry here, you’re not giving common man a voice- we are in the middle of a recession, looking at ways in which to lap up the next big thing – without the lack of critical discussion, we are inoculating ourselves from the past. We forget that as human beings, we dwell too much on not being early adopters of stuff – or looking for ways to make money from it (usually from the common man)

Yesterday my tweets made up 10 percent of the backchannel – not one person challenged me. I did meet few people in the lobby who thanked me for making the backchannel more interesting.  I also received some emails from others who were saying similar.

In response, I think we should demand more and we shouldn’t just accept this superficiality as top class research. If social media is to be considered as lasting longer than 5 minutes, we need some real, throughout research, embedded in historical and cultural context, critical methods – with tangable results. Otherwise this is just bullshit. Facebook and Twitter are just brandnames to these people – see beyond this and go further.