A hipster is one who follows the latest fashion trends, which ironically are outside of the cultural mainstream. One can think of them as early adopters, or trendsetters in the fashion space. Eventually, aspects of their style reach a tipping point and the majority of people adjust their wardrobes to match. By that point in time, a hipster would have already replaced such fashion accessories with items that are less likely to by popular. And so the cycle continues. With this in mind, how have hipsters shaped the growth of the interwebs?
The Internet is for Commerce
If you were lucky enough to have seen Avenue Q on broadway, then you no doubt would remember the scene about the internet being for porn. This is true for many people, but at its heart, porn is just a commodity. Websites give away free clips to draw an audience, in the hopes that some of those people will buy higher quality videos or other products while they’re on site.
Apparel is a commodity, too. People brows Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media sites to get fashion ideas (remember Polyvore?). They then shop what they perceive to be the latest styles at their favorite stores. But who drives that fasion? Yep. Hipsters.
Hipsters and Website Ideation
When people consider starting a website, they often begin their journey by buying a domain name. After that, they usually find their way to Shopify or WordPress. If they choose WordPress, or an open source shopping cart like Magento, then the next step would be to choose a web hosting company. Many people read reviews on websites like HostCalc before choosing a web hosting provider. But who’s behind these reviews? Oftentimes, it’s hipsters. They recognized the value of owning a website before owning a website was a thing. Now, it feels like everybody has a website (and several social media profiles). And yes, hipsters are on social media, too.
What’s Next on the Interwebs?
So, what’s next? Websites are already accepting bitcoin transactions. Some are processing ethereum and other cryptocurrencies, too. But there’s more.
Voice commerce is already here, and it’s growing. But what comes after that, thought commerce? It almost feels like it’s already here. Most people have experienced having a thought or a conversation, only to start seeing related products appear on their feeds. It’s certainly possible that your mobile device is listening to all of your conversations. However, the stark reality is that machine-learning algorithms are just getting really, really good. They’re so good that they can predict your thoughts before they happen, based on your behavior. Time will tell, but perhaps hipsters already know.