People are aware of the power of their digital voice and this awareness is laying the foundation for a third wave of the Internet. Data and privacy concerns will usher in this next evolution, giving users a choice and maybe even a cut. This next wave will inevitably place users at its center and offer them a real choice – making content providers transparently communicate the benefits of their offerings and giving users a variety of options of how they want to pay for them.
Key Points
- The first wave of the Internet enabled new means of communication – from email, to messaging, VoIP, video calls, discussion forums, and the Web.
- The second wave was all about sharing and networking – from text to pictures and video, streamed and on demand.
- During both waves, users never thought their data might be misused to such an extent that it would actually affect their lives. Now we’re nurturing a new wave of the Internet, a wave that acknowledges the user as a vital contributor to its existence and development.
- The user should have the choice to pay with their attention, pay by handing over pieces of their data, pay with money, or choose instead to get paid.
- Imagine an Internet where consumers are reimbursed for sharing their digital profile or for spending time being exposed to advertisements. Now they play an active role, versus passively being exploited.
- A consumer who receives something of a perceived value is going to show much more engagement and have a higher awareness for products and services that are being advertised or served to them.
- As our ‘digital lives’ and real lives become more in sync – with over five hours spent online each day on average – we must adopt choice-based models for the Internet that we covet in real life.