If “social networking” didn’t already define 2006, the term moved one step closer to doing so when Time Magazine named “You” as their “Person of the Year.” That assignation may have tightened the knot in George Will’s neckwear a bit:

“It’s about narcissism,� Will said. “So much of what is done on the web is people getting on there and writing their diaries as though everyone ought to care about everyone’s inner turmoils. I mean, it’s extraordinary.�

Of course there’s some truth in Will’s contention, in the same way one might cite that peaches are bad for you—if a pit lodges in your throat. Such outmoded comments from pundits like George Will,call to mind sentiments like, “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?” — David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

However, in Will’s case it might be more analogous if those same Sarnoff associates had espoused their beliefs during, say, radio’s post-WWII heyday.

Truth in Numbers
Indeed, the top 10 most trafficked sites on the web are user-generated social networking sites. According to Alexa.com, in late November the only mainstream media site remaining on that list was CNN at #10. And even CNN has adopted a citizen contribution model in “I-Report.” How narcissistic of them. Incidentally, as of today, just about one month later, CNN ranks a paltry 38th on the most visited sites list.

Here’s the full transcript of George Will’s comment in context:

Richard Stengel, Time Magazine: This is about a change that really has happened this year that I think is truly epical, and this is the fact that, the creation of user-generated content, online, on blogging and every which way is kind of changing the information age. It’s changing the way we get and consume news. It’s changing the way we think about things. In fact, it’s changing everything for people like us who are in traditional media because all of us have changed the way we consume news and it’s about people becoming citizens of this great new global digital democracy.

Stephanolopous: But I was reading something just the other day that said still, only, what is it, 13 percent or even fewer of Americans even read a blog every day.

Stengel: It’s not just about blogging, it’s about YouTube, it’s about MySpace. I mean, look at how, you go back to…

Will: It’s about narcissism, which is why a mirror is absolutely perfect. So much of what is done on the web is people getting on there and writing their diaries as though everyone ought to care about everyone’s inner turmoils. I mean it’s extraordinary.