Many critics chide social networking services for making our generation a more reclusive one, due to the fact that all social interaction is now possible online. However, one of the latest trends in social networking defies this; location-based services (LBS) are the latest and greatest addition to social networking and have blown up the in the smartphone scene. Apps such as Foursquare, Gowalla, and SCVNGR encourage users to connect with their friends in the real world through the phenomenon of “checking in,” showing people where other users are and what they’re doing. While this may up the stalk factor, it ensures that people still get their social networking fixes while simultaneously engaging with their surroundings. What’s more is there are often rewards associated with these apps, specifically, deals or freebies offered by the places you “check in” at as well as the ability to see how people currently review and rate certain establishments and the opportunity to discover gems in their areas.
The marriage of LBS and social networking create a godsend lovechild perfect for adventurous socialites. However, views of this trend seem to be mixed, not only because of the fact that these services are primarily limited to smartphones, but also due to the mildly creepy nature of their operations. So, where do you stand on the addition of LBS to social networking? Will it be a trend that peaks and passes, or is it the future of social media? Do you love it or love to hate it? Or, are you so busy checking in and collecting badges that you can’t even respond to this post…?
-Allison Wahl
I’m definitely somebody who loves to hate the invasion of mobile technology in every nook and cranny of modern life. Nobody takes the cartridge out to give it a hellish blow any more… what happened to the instinctual blow?
This is true about this generation being relied on social networking through smartphones and other devices. I think this is a wave of the future, for most people keep in touch this way with their busy lives. People have such busy lives now it is easy to e-mail, social network, or text than it is to actually see someone or call them. Yes this may up the “stalker crazy” but this maybe can be controlled in the future. I love to hate this, because I use facebook, but not religously like some I know.
I must say that the social networking scene has both it’s pros and it’s cons. This is actually a perfect example of a pro. The likelihood of you and I having communication outside of the time we spent together in Denmark (and Scotland for a stint
) would have been slim to none if it weren’t for Facebook and other internet social devices… like your blog. This is definitely a pro to me. Being able to be in touch with someone much easier with a stronger chance of seeing each other again not just due to pure chance. I can see how the internet social networking scenes could create a more reclusive society, but for me, and many other people I know, it expands my social circle and creates an easier way to travel and find accommodations. i.e. people you have met once traveling and you exchanged emails, couchsurfing.org, facebook, skype
With the positive I get from my social connections via the internet and then some, of course there are some negative aspects to it. Personally, I hate being easily accessed. Up until a year ago, I tried to use text messaging as little as possible. The fact that some people expect a response within seconds after they’ve sent it put an expectation on ME (the respondent) that is complete unfair and unreasonable. In some ways, I wish cell phones were never invented, let alone smartphones (which I hadn’t even heard the term “smartphone” until about two weeks ago… I’m 22, I should be up on this type of thing. Lol!) , and we still had to use landlines so we all weren’t in such a hurry all the time. But, alas, that is not how it is. I have given in to many different types of technologies, but I try to maintain the balance of screen and face time. I definitely prefer face time and being able to sit back and share in conversation with a fellow breathing being, but I’m glad that I am able to see my boyfriend over skype with him living overseas, and skype with a best friend in Chicago, and even a best friend living up in San Francisco. I think the key is finding a balance and realizing that these technologies DON’T run your life. You do
I use Foursquare when I’m home from college so I can easily let my friends know when I’m near them. It’s difficult to keep up with everyone from back home when I’m over 3000 miles away for nine months. So when I return, I want to see as many of my old friends as possible. Location-based services are very helpful when I’m trying to reconnect with people I haven’t seen for months. Since most of my friends have smartphones, it’s as simple as glancing down at my phone to see if I’m near anyone I’d like to see.
I have to admit that these social networking sites are addictive, but I was the most productive and perhaps the most connected with friends when I deactivated my accounts. These trends will pass eventually and give rise to even creepier stalker technology.
This will absolutely be a trend that peaks and passes. Right now it is the hot new thing, but eventually people will tire of checking in and question the actual worth of the badges they have invested so much effort into collecting.
Of course there will always be a value to location based services – the ability to find out restaurants in your area and how they are rated will not go away. But the social aspect of letting your friends know where you are at all times in case they want to stalk you is very much a fad.
I will admit I was a bit creeped out at first by friends and fellow acquaintances on social networking sites being able to see where I would shop, dine, and travel. Being in the hollywood scene this has sure been a hot topic! However I do enjoy the local reviews of restaurants, shops, etc.
As all of these new social networking devices have in common, they’re good in moderation…And when their powers are used for good!
Cool post!
As a person from the baby boom generation, I became aware of such sites through Allison’s blog. I can see the convenience they may offer, but feel the compromise of privacy is too much of a price to pay. I think the potential abuse by companies to use such social networks will likely lead to over-marketing that willl eventually limit the use of this potentially helpful device for stimulating connectivity in an increasingly isolated electronic world.
I didn’t realize you get discounts at certain places for “checking-in”. That helps me understand it’s appeal marginally better. I hate it to be honest. But that’s because I generally feel uncomfortable with announcing my location to the world. I know the world is desperate for facebook feeds with my social events play-by-play, but boundaries must be set.
however, if it allows you to rate places you “check-in” at like with yelp, then that has value. I prefer the apps that rank happy hours etc w/o having to announce to the world that you have arrived.
I agree with Alex, there are both pros and cons but it is amazingly helpful when you are trying to keep in touch with friends who are all over the states and abroad. It can be creepy and stalkerish at times but I like the more interactive ones that encourage people to get up and renew the face to face contact when possible. Computers can’t replace that. Should be interesting to see where this new type of social networking takes us
I’m not a big social networker other than facebook…I still don’t have twitter so something like foursquare is still beyond me…besides what’s so hard about calling up the people who you want to see and finding out where they are?
Agreed.
So, as far as I can say, it is a huge problem for security! Stalking is one thing, but if they really want to harm someone– foursquare etc type of apps reveal so many info all at the same time: place, time and date. Patterns in times or dates and areas can result in stalkers to know anything about anyone. Its a great way to get so much info about where to go, what to do etc etc and I admire the minds who’ve created it. However, as always, great creations need caution to use..
Very interesting. People crave ways to interact and socialize with each other. I feel like this trend will not pass, rather it will evolve into something new.
I was completely unaware of LBS, so thank you for writing a blog on this new trend.
After reading your blog, what popped into mind was the fact that although LBS encourages users to “connect with their friends in the real world through the phenomenon of “checking in,” showing people where other users are and what they’re doing”, it can also be used as a tool [for eluding law enforcement] by people who do human trafficking, as well as drug smuggling, pedophiles, you name it. Like most things in life, I personally believe that this will be a trend and will eventually phase out, as other means of social networking and technology become available (just look at how popular MySpace once was, now Facebook and Twitter are the new phenomenon). However, this is just one more social networking tool that we have to warn our children about.
Interesting…
Didn’t know about LBS, will check it out
Yeah, I hadn’t heard of LBS before this. But I don’t think it has much potential. I’m getting sick of all these ‘new’ and ‘advanced’ social networking stuff. We’re breeding a generation of creepers…
T — wow is all I have for that. I think you have fallen into the evening news trap of creating fear by sensationalizing every mundane story. Let’s look at LBS for what it really is, a way to get people who live on the internet off of their computer chairs and into the real world in a way that they can relate to. While I am not a huge fan of social media, I believe that the LBS business applications are huge and if used correctly, could lead to increasing profits for smaller businesses who might not otherwise have as much customer traffic. As far as its potentially insidious and “scary” uses, it is possible someone will find a way to use a service for such actions, but I think to focus on that application right off the bat is looking past how it could benefit economic growth in a time when we drastically need it.
I have to say I agree. I don’t yet, but one of the primary reasons I will be getting a smart phone is for exactly that reason: LBS, which, by the way, I didn’t know the name for till now. But yeah, I want to be able to experience new things. Being a new yorker its hard to know whats good because there are so many options. Having a wireless device with that information will be hugely helpful in my endeavor to explore more, locally.
Allison, I hadn’t heard of location-based services until now – thanks for being so informative! I am the recent owner of a smartphone, but honestly, I don’t use it for anything beyond checking my email and sending and receiving phone calls. I would certainly be interested in learning more about what it can do. One thing I’ve really noticed lately is the crazy smartphone culture of Washington DC. People have a terrible habit of checking their blackberries/iphones/whatever WHILE speaking to you. This is definitely an unattractive quality of smartphone use. I think LBS and other new applications for smartphones are great, but people need to start complying to a code of courtesy when using their phones. Basically, personal interaction should always be the first priority!
Allison keeps me up-to-date with the latest social networking tools. LBS was not an acronym that I previously knew – but now I do! I can see the advantages, but agree wth many of the bloggers that maintaining personal private space is very important in this increasing impersonal electronic world.
Brian Skinner – Love your comments above. However, I’m curious about your take on the discount incentives behind check-ins. Do you think this, too, is a passing fad? Rewarding loyalty is a long standing opportunity (aka buy 10 get 1 free) that is, at the very least, made far more intriguing by the LBS. Store issued loyalty incentives (let alone the value in knowing data behind who likes your products) have the potential to create real value for both customers and retailers alike. Cool example: the current campaign with starbucks offering discounts to foursquare users (http://mashable.com/2010/05/17/starbucks-foursquare-mayor-specials/). Fascinated to see how similar deals develop, especially as stores ferret out kinks in the system (http://consumerist.com/2010/06/discounts-for-foursquare-mayors-causing-headaches-for-starbucks.html)
While I don’ t have a smart phone, I’m sure there are lots of merits to LBS and I look forward to seeing how it will affect other mediums
I think it will be interesting to see how LBS affects our society. I think the idea of LBS is pretty cool, however, the actual implementation of is is somewhat creepy, but we will see.
I always forget to “check in” while out and about….so far, I haven’t fully bought in to it yet.
I don’t think it’s creepy. If people want to broadcast to everybody where they’re going and what they’re doing, seems fine by me. Wish I had something more intelligent to say…
fascinating analysis
Great post! The marriage of social networking and LBS is absolutely encouraging us to be more reclusive- Our crave for more social interaction will cause this to become more integral to our daily lives, and perhaps evolve into more of a social norm rather than a fad. This is very interesting to think about!
LBS apps are supposed to bridge the gap between technology and normal human interaction but in actuality it does just the opposite. All I can imagine is some mindless lemming of a smartphone-obsessed individual staring unblinking into his gadget in the pursuit of free goodies while other human beings pass him by. A reward-based system will further isolate users from others in that it ups the competitiveness factor between everyone. Call me old fashioned, but all of this freaks me out a little bit. How about using our phones to call someone up to say “hello”??
LBS, in the broad sense, will be here to stay. They are very interesting in that they catalyze and track offline action, which is a huge concept and one that will be very big for traditional brick and mortar retailers. While I’m not sure it will stay in its current form with manual check-ins, competing for badges, etc. there is a ton of value in specifically a Foursquare-esque application for businesses. This sort of an application (in its mature state) will be extremely effective in getting customers to engage in loyalty programs, discount marketing etcetera which most businesses are dying to activate. We hopefully will see other incarnations of this in the future. While I’m not necessarily sure it’s THE future of social networking, I think it is definitely going to be a part of a larger future that includes all sorts of cool things.
I think it’s the wave of the future for a lot of people… just not me.
Brian Skinner and Matt Wahl – a riveting analysis from both sides. Location melded with social, as you both say, will be central to the evolution of the products that shape our lives for a long time, primarily because of how it creates new monetization opportunities: mobile ads via deep engagement with mobile devices and real-world, brick and mortar lead-gen for small businesses.
Don’t even get me started on the value of the data created by these products to advertisers. It’s crazy.
To be honest, I’m more bullish on Booyah. Their numbers are through the roof, and rather than trying to be a game like Foursquare, they ARE a game…just closed a huge round of financing as well.
Skinner and Wahl — I like both of your points. I’ve been trying out LBS for a few months. I was very active on them at the beginning, but quickly tired of checking in everywhere. The incentives are an interesting way to encourage check-ins, but retailers will have to creatively extend this benefit beyond mayors. If I check in a Starbucks and the mayor already has 50 check-ins, there’s no way I’m going to surpass him/her, so I wont even try. This problem will be exacerbated as more people join LBS. I’ve got a few more thoughts, but I have to get back to work. Great blog post and topic!
I second Brian Skinner’s infinitely wise assessment: the badges and acheivements will go the way of Stars in Mario 64…while the “newest cool thing” at a given moment, the relentless drive to collect as many as possible will give way to the attitude of “wow, I can’t believe I wasted so much of my life on this.” Despite this sad aspect, there is value in the possibility of physically bringing people together for some good old-fashioned face to face social interaction.
I use Four Square and so do many of my friends. It has really become a fun game amongst the friends who are on the site. Who can check into the most bars in one night…who can stop by the most pizza places…etc.
LBS is here to stay – it’s not perfect, but this will def not go away. All it takes is for someone to notice that you are doing something “interesting” and it starts to create the right social incentives. Law of survival, the good ideas using LBS will stay while others will fade away, but as long as we have technology to support it, it will continue to create new opportunities.
I believe that social networking allows us to interact and share ideas/information like never before with a broader audience. I believe that we will always have solid, physical contact to those who are closest to us; however, LBS/social networking sites allow us to keep in touch with people whom we would not otherwise. Therefore, they definitely serve an important role in facilitating the “shrinking of the world”.
Matt, great question – I am not sure how it will all play out. I had a similar conversation with my friends over at actbolder.com about incentives and if they really work. I am not so sure – here is my take. Little incentives offered to all people that check in (or complete a challenge in bolder) are not a compelling reason to change your behavior – if you were already going to starbucks you will check in to get 25 cents off, but won’t go out of your way to go to starbucks over some other coffee place. In this sense small incentives are as worthless at bringing in customers as virtual badges. It becomes compelling when you can offer a bigger reward to someone who is winning the LBS game (the mayor in the case of 4sqr). I’m still not convinced this will drive more people into the store, but it will reward your most loyal customers. Sounds more like charity than business savvy to me … (but I’ve been wrong before)
Matt – I liked that second article you linked to (http://consumerist.com/2010/06/discounts-for-foursquare-mayors-causing-headaches-for-starbucks.html) – it seems that rather than incentivizing people to go to starbucks they just get upset!
Unfortunately my flip phone does not allow for “checking in.” Some of these new trends leave the old timers in the dust…
Brian – agreed on minor v. major incentives. Glad you liked the Starbucks article – while a more minor point (baristas at Starbucks as the mayors), I think gaming the system/unintended consequences will continue to be an issue until someone comes up with verified, federated check-in APIs/services.
Jonah – perhaps you should fork over some hard earned cash and get in on the games?