Ken Bone became a worldwide phenomenon last night during the Presidential debate when he asked the candidates a question about energy policy.
10 years ago, Ken would have asked the question and his life would have gone on as normal. Last night, he asked the question and today he was interviewed on CNN, trending on Twitter, and has generated coverage from the New York Times, The Atlantic, and Politico among others. He's a full-fledged Internet celebrity and his life will never be the same.
What has changed in the past 10 years?
In 2016, anyone can share their thoughts about anything on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Reddit. These open platforms have inspired creativity that we never would have thought possible 10 years ago. Tens of millions of people were watching the debate and discussing on social. Ken Bone clearly hit a nerve and today he's benefiting from the attention and publications and networks are benefiting from page views. The only people that actually benefit financially from phenomenon's like Ken Bone though are the companies that can monetize the activity.
What is missing?
Publishers and social networks that have resources can benefit from a meme that goes viral. They can monetize the ad dollars or sell gear (Barstool Sports for example is selling a Ken Bone shirt for $28). What's missing is the opportunity for anyone to benefit from the Internet culture we live in today.
A social network with incentives built in changes the game in 2 ways: it allows anyone with good ideas to benefit financially and it encourages more creativity from around the world. I can only imagine what a Presidential debate in 10 years will be like :)
