Just over a year ago, I wrote about the prolific rise of cross-platform mobile messaging apps along with the corresponding exodus of users in terms of “small circle conversation” on major social platforms. At that time , few people at my workshops or among clients ever heard of WhatsApp. Even up until very recently, I would still get blank stares when asking people if they knew anything about it.
As of today that will no longer be an issue.
Facebook just bought WhatsApp for $19 Billion.
A few weeks ago I was asked to contribute a guest post for the Saint Elizabeth Health Care CEO Blog. I decided to focus on the topic of how the digital world is affecting the modern patient. Below is my full blog post. You can also read the slightly condensed post directly on the SEHC Blog if you prefer.
Over the course of what is now almost a decade, I’ve had the pleasure of working and consulting with numerous health organizations that have wished to engage in the digital space in a more strategic and coordinated manner. This has likely been driven by the significant increase in content, discussion, and interest surrounding the impact of the modern digital/social media landscape on health. Unfortunately, in many cases these discussions still aren’t occurring at the most senior levels due to the plethora of other day-to-day challenges the health sector currently faces.
One of the most obvious trends I have noticed lately is the move away from owning media content. I realize that the concept of the “cloud” has existed for quite a while , however that’s only part of the equation here.
The whole idea of being a collector is becoming more and more of a niche now that near instantaneous access to any content you can think of is available to anyone with an internet connection (i.e. 2.4 billion people). Yes, I’m generalizing here and yes there are plenty of exceptions (originals/ first edition content/art of any kind and appreciating the unique feel and sound of vinyl being just a few examples) however overall this is a significant shift.