Get out your crystal balls, your time travel machines, your scrying devices…

I want you to put yourself five years in the future. 

Which social media platforms that we’re using today will still be around?

Which will be the Friendster of 2017?

How will we access social media, and how will we use it? What changes should we be making today to prepare for social media of the future?

I agree, @istudio.  I think all the major social networks will still be around.  I think there will be dashboards that will integrate all the social media plus email, etc., making it easier for businesses to keep track of everything on the internet in one place (that’s what I want any way!).

@rich-brooks Based on the Google glasses, maybe like the Matrix? 
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth. Neo: What truth? Boy: There is no spoon. Neo: There is no spoon? Boy: Then you’ll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself. 
I agree with @iamconsulting about mobile being the medium for whatever platforms exist at the time. I also think video will continue to increase in usage. New apps such as Viddy seem to fit our short attention spans. 
The other thing that we might see are the transparent screens – a different kind of mobile. They would allow us to access information anywhere more easily via a wristwatch-like projection. They don’t call it sci-fi for nothing!

Yes, an interesting question/topic. Like Dea I first thought, 20177777 but it’s not that far away, however, in social media, IT there will be major differences. Take a look at what’s happened in the past 10 or 5 years. To think that when I first started publishing online in 2000 I was way ahead of my time – I even had one of writers say to me no-one will ever make money online, it’s a waste of time! Well, how wrong could they be. 

Also agree with Nicole Schlecht about the future being mobile – yes it is and it is now which is why appsability.com can help you so easily and it’s affordable to get your own mobile app for your business, regardless of size, whether it’s for a consultancy or a micro, medium or large business.  Is your business in your client’s pocket?

Google+ is still a mystery to me and I don’t see it lasting into 2017.  I see Facebook owning Pinterest type websites and believe that there will be no “free” anything by that time.  I’m new to online business and I’ve learned so much over the past year that my head is still spinning BUT I’m trying to catch up.  Fortunately, there will be forums like this in 2017 to help people!

I’m inclined to agree with Nicole on 3 platforms that she mentioned. However, Donna has mentioned the lifespan of Google+, namely short. In five years, the big 3 (sounds like a safari) are going to continue to grow, but I have my doubts about Google+. There is such a thing as market saturation. I think it will take even more creativity to design apps, to get AND sustain the digital audience in the future. As Pamela and Nicole also said, mobile is definitely the future. I will sit at my computer, and STILL check emails on my phone, tweet and FB, as though I don’t have access. Mobile is growing exponentially.

The speed of technological advances is going to make the next 5 years almost impossible to guess. I think social networking will be a part of our everyday experience. Very specific information will be delivered to you based on what you do, where you live, likes, dislikes. But instead of the business targeting the audience, it will be the technology targeting the audience based on the message.

OK, I’m a bit of a sci fi geek, but where else can you go when technology has become such a part of our lives?

Great topic,
I agree with @istudio tools being key to measure success of web efforts, there is a need for a single tool for better campaign management. Google has plans for its own all encompasing toolset; other big players that cater to agencies and large companies are also working towards this objective.
Mobile and tablet use will continue to grow along with valuable apps to make our lives easier. 
With the big brand companies taking advantage of today’s technology to engage consumers, we are going to continue to see eCommerce improvements across all platforms and channels. 
I agree with @susanhand about our actions being more efficiently tracked and technology targetting audiences based on our actions. This collection of “big data” will improve spanning across-platforms and human intervention will still be required to define the criteria of the messaging that gets delivered. Sure hope so; otherwise, I’ll be out of a job.
I don’t see any of the big social media companies fading out; not in 5 years. Google+ is definitely not FB, it is young and its more for professionals and businessess benefiting them most at the local level.