Your mileage may vary: on the limits of social media

We lead a double life. We have relationships that enrich our lives, events we participate in, and places we go that become a part of who we are. We also have online friendships, which enrich our lives and make up part of who we are. There are points of intersection between our two lives: events we arrange online that take place offline, places that we have been (offline) that we photograph, tag, and share with our online social community. The amount of data being generated by people online, who share information about their offline lives, is unprecedented and growing. We are a lucky few. We are the "technorati": the people who have access to technology, and the knowledge to use it. We are wealthy, well-travelled, well-educated, and proud owners of a plethora of gadgets that allow us to weave a seamless tapestry between our online and offline lives. We are not most people. The data we generate does not represent most people.