Social media: back to the roots and back to the future

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a viewpoint on the historical roots and future evolution of social media. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a summary of the authors' previous research and experience in the area of social media. Findings This paper contains practical insights on the consumer use and business potential of social media applications. Originality/value This viewpoint provides insights to anyone who is interested in researching consumer use of social media or using social media in a managerial context. It will be particularly helpful to business leaders who are looking for answers in the fast‐moving area of social media applications.