Zuckerberg's Sharing Law

Mark Zuckerberg observed that people's willingness to share personal information online doubles each year, though he later distanced himself from this observation due to its potentially controversial implications.

Key Points:

• Evolution of Social Sharing:

  • Started with basic status updates
  • Progressed to location sharing (Foursquare)
  • Advanced to constant photo sharing (Snapchat)
  • Each year, people become comfortable sharing twice as much as before

• Evidence of Increasing Sharing Comfort:

  • Initially only shared photo albums
  • Moved to sharing individual photos
  • Now share numerous disappearing photos on platforms like Snapchat
  • Pattern shows consistent increase in sharing volume

• Practical Applications:

  • There is "pent up demand" to share more moments
  • People want to capture more daily experiences
  • Current technology limits natural sharing impulses
  • Many moments go uncaptured due to inconvenience

• Future Implications:

  • Demand exists for easier ways to capture and share moments
  • New technologies (glasses, drones, wearables) will enable more sharing
  • People will continue to increase sharing if technology makes it convenient
  • The trend suggests continued growth in personal information sharing

• Market Opportunity:

  • Gap exists between desire to share and current technological capabilities
  • People want to capture more moments but current interfaces are limiting
  • New form factors needed to enable natural, friction-free sharing
  • Technology that enables easier sharing will likely succeed