Categories: Articles

Online Social Networks Will Help Drop The Divorce Rate

With everything happening in social media and the proliferation of online dating, it got me thinking that because of the power of six pixels of separation (not the Podcast title, but the concept – a world where individuals are connecting in ways we could have never imagined possible) – that the North American divorce rate will decrease significantly in the coming years. When we’re connecting like this, it makes sense that your scope of influence increases as geographic boundaries no longer seem relevant. Here’s a bold thought: the divorce rate will drop dramatically in the coming years as more and more people meet and get married through online dating or online social networking.
Most divorces happen because the couple were not the “best” match. Someone settles and it probably has some origins in the original pool of people they had to select from. Sure, some of us got lucky (and some not so much), but as more and more people connect by filling in personal profiles and connecting to those who are more like-minded with similar interests, I’m willing to bet that those who do get married are probably finding people they are more compatible with.
The idea behind six pixels of separation goes well beyond its core philosophy that because of technology we are all intrinsically connected. Six pixels of separation speaks to a new way of connecting. It’s a world where mass brands are over-taken by personal brands. It’s a world where individuals are building their personal brands by connecting to very niche content and media that they are choosing and controlling. It will be a world where divorce rates will decrease as more people get connected because they share personal brand attributes. It’s a place where individual brand voice is as loud as the mass advertisers.
There are millions of new ramifications for marketers to deal with. Not only are we challenged with how to reach and connect with these people and their personal brands, Marketers now have to deal with how to market to people who have unique personal brands that share a similar audience size and reach.
Personal brands will (and are) developing closer and more powerful bonds with consumers than the mass brands.
The new models of personal branding as a distinct part of six pixels of separation is taking hold. We’re seeing the results at the relationship level – successful online dating and online social networking sites – and this is just the beginning.
More on the power of six pixels of separation, personal branding and how our personal connections are creating new marketing paradigms as the thoughts crystallize.
As you can well imagine, this post is inspired by the concepts I’m presently drilling down on for my book, Six Pixels Of Separation.
There are many more new connections to be made.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.