2011 TK Spring | New Context Conference

The Future of Social Media as a Livelihood

Location
Tokyo, Japan

Date
16 April, 2011

Set against the backdrop of the Great East Japan Earthquake, this event highlighted the role of social media as an information lifeline. In his keynote, then-MIT Media Lab Director Joi Ito discussed how platforms like Twitter (now X) enabled rapid information dissemination during disasters. The event also explored service development through the lens of design and engineering, envisioning next-generation media built on trust and user participation.

Global IT History

Shift in Social Media Use Following the Great East Japan Earthquake

Twitter usage doubled during the Great East Japan Earthquake
Social media became a vital information platform during disasters

Spread of Real-Time Social Networking Driven by Smartphone Adoption

LINE gains 10 million users in just six months; Facebook reaches 800 million users, Twitter 200 million, and YouTube records 3 billion daily views
Microsoft acquires Skype for $8.5 billion, expanding its user base to over 600 million
Integration of voice, video, and messaging accelerates

Rise of MVP Development Practices

Publication of The Lean Startup popularizes the concept of rapid, iterative product development
The release of frameworks such as Bootstrap and Google Dart supports faster and more efficient development