Last week I started my digital detox. I have informed my facebook community that I will only be checking in once a month. Same goes for two other networking sites. My BlackBerry will be switched off, or at least moved out of sight, from 8pm. My Twitter account has been dormant pretty much since I opened it, in fact, I don't even remember the password for it. And I am contemplating changing my email address to combat the amount of newsletters I receive on a daily basis. Some, I did indeed sign up for at a time, when the digital information overload had not reached its full extent and I did actually have the mental space to read through design updates, luxury blogs, branding trends and industry news. Others have just emerged from god knows where, unrelated to our line of business, resistant to any "Block sender" and "Report Spam" attempts. Luckily I have learned early to avoid the "like this" button which would catapult my digital DNA into space for future use in additional promotional emails.

I am not the only one who feels an increasing resentment towards social network and digital information overload. Articles in old media newspapers, moaning the lack of time, the number of social profiles one has to update and unsolicited newsletters are on the increase. Initially I thought it was a question of age. Once you are in your thirties with generally increased responsibilities in both work and personal life, off-line time becomes precious.

But the other day I browsed through a fashion magazine, which was introducing a selection of 10 up-and-coming South African models. When asked: Twitter or Facebook, the majority opted for Facebook with one responding "Who has time for Twitter?" Now, if this Mxit generation of 17 something year old aspiring models, no longer have time for Twitter, something worth observing must be happening.

Slow Media is a movement pursuing a more conscious use of new technologies instead of high speed information and communication via email, smart phones, TV and video games. Slow Media champions are not opposed towards new technologies or broadband but promote a more thoughtful use of such technologies.
"Technologies should be chosen, not embraced blindly; should serve, not be served" ("Backlash against digital chatter", Roger Buddenberg, Omaha.com).

So will the future go back to quality instead of quantity?
In the PR industry, Social Media has most certainly found its place, even if it's perhaps not always used to its full potential, or, at times, inappropriately. When Facebook, Youtube and Twitter became mainstream, the hype was on among companies and brands to get involved. A Facebook group became a must, corporate videos were placed on YouTube and the communications department was tweeting "key messages" on behalf of the company. The "Me-too" effect is great. As long as the friendly Facebook and Twitter icons are shining from the company website, indicating not just a link but in essence membership to a whole social media community, no one cares who the friends and followers actually are, as long as they come in large numbers. When I opened my Twitter account I posted a semi-philosophical comment on South Africa and the build up to the World Cup. Then I did nothing and waited. Within 24hrs I already had 20 followers, whom I have never heard of before. Who are these people?

After the increase of Social Media over the past five years, what can we expect for the next five years? What will shape our relationships?
Slow food, one particular advanced field of the whole Slow Movement, has directed our attention away from fast and convenience food to the importance of eating consciously. The growing popularity of organic markets speaks for itself. Slow media puts a spotlight on our distorted relationships through too much texting, emailing and tweeting. The focus is on true relationships with real conversations, bringing back personal connectivity as opposed to online connectivity.

In Public Relations, this means the focus moves from "Public" to "Relations". With increasing competition and information overload, a saturation level has been reached. There is only so much information a consumer can relate to and keep. At the same time, word of mouth has never been so strong, at a time where it can be multiplied within seconds. Companies will need to take a more critical look at their Social Media Strategy. Do I need to have a Facebook group, just because my main audience is the youth? Do I need to be tweeting to an unknown and potentially irrelevant audience? And if so, what service and value do I provide these audiences with?

What we need to be asking is, who is shaping public opinion? People we know and trust or a potentially uncritical mass? Meaningful conversations with selected audiences and opinion leaders will become the focus. The question is not only how many followers I have but how many people are following those who are following me. The verdict of an opinion leader holds more credibility among his group of befriended peers than a carefully crafted communications message.

Twitter usually works best if there is an existing relationship between sender and follower, for example if the writer has already made himself a name through another channel and therefore has already opinion leader status. Another example for successful tweeting is in niche markets or specialist industries with a large degree of development and a need for updated information. In this scenario, tweets of credible sources have great potential in shaping perceptions and communicating ideas across an entire industry.

I have always had a critical eye on the aspect of Social Media, probably because the gap between proper use and abuse is so narrow. Online communication picks up its own dynamic, so needs to be well thought through and implemented to ensure once you release the snowball, it's rolling in the right direction. It can also be expected that the law will be amended soon to prevent unsolicited spamming. In Europe, people have moved towards suing companies who contact them with unsolicited SMS's, calls and emails. Companies who think ahead ensure that they have permission to start a dialogue. Will the Slow Media movement also leave its mark in South Africa? I cannot see how it couldn't, if companies want to cut through the information overload.

For the time being, I will stay unplugged, exploring what insights there are to gain with the additional personal bandwidth that becomes available once one switches off. Or to say it with World Herald writer Roger Buddenberg's words: "Technologies should be chosen, not embraced blindly; should serve, not be served."