I just ran across this article from Alleyinsider.com analyzing the latest comScore user engagement numbers and asking the question: Are all of the users on Facebook and Myspace just getting bored? Have they run out of things to do?

Interesting question… Is this a widespread fad, or just a leveling off as users accept functionality and settle into a routine. All of the young folk and technology are on board and happy. We have seen a lot of sites and new technology in the last few years completely focused on tracking and publishing our every movement. Some argue that this is a generational difference and younger generations are comfortable and happy uploading their every movement. Common sense tells me that this may be true while they’re in school and have ample free time, but that the trend can’t continue as they enter the workforce. Call me old school, but technology has to be useful for it to succeed long-term.
And is it hurting the people who use it? Is the crazy amount of multitasking a good thing? I’ve never found that multitasking worked well for me. Sure, I could get a lot done, but the quality suffers. For me personally, I work best when I can sit down and really crank something out. A recent article in the Atlantic notes similar experiences and studies that show that while humans can multitask, they don’t retain the information they’ve processed.

All of this is coming together and we’re continuing further down the path of information overload – moblogs, Twitter, etc… I’m sure this will all evolve into something used and loved by many, but until social networking really finds a way to merge online and offline connections, we aren’t there yet. Some niches are bringing this together, but they’re the outliers right now.