Anyone else feel that no one knows this "next-generation social network" better than, well, the next generation? I'm talking about today's young teens and little kids. Facebook took off during our time because we were the cool demographic back then. It was everything we wanted and needed that MySpace and Friendster failed to give. I think it's difficult for us to comprehend what the next-gen social network will be because we think differently. We didn't exactly grow up with touch-screen devices and mobile internet, for one.
I agree with this. I'm not sure that the next-big-thing is even imaginable yet. I don't think it will be just a product or service like Facebook. I think it will involve a complete paradigm shift, and perhaps some tech that we haven't yet envisioned.
This article makes some interesting points and, perhaps, the next generation will incorporate some of these ideas. But, it feels like a modest iteration over the current state of affairs. And, much like the current landscape (FB, Vine, Instagram, SnapChat, etc), the article feels fragmented. It consists of a lot of related ideas, but there's no real cohesion or unifying theme.
Is it a coincidence that most of the partners (YC in particular) aren't teens (or in that potential demographic)? If you're good enough, you can spot a hot/interesting product. You raise a very valid point, however, and that's part of the reason why the internet is so rad -- it's ever-evolving.
