Fred Wilson has posted his 'Vision for Social Media' today. In general I agree with his observations about social behavior. People want to express themselves, share and connect. There is something that Fred and most 'social media' observers are missing however. Sociality is only one aspect of a human being.

As I have illustrated in the diagram above it's time to start thinking about Personal Media rather than Social Media. Personal News rather than Social News. Personal Relevancy rather than Popularity.

What does "Personal Media" mean?

Personal Media means that we need to understand that human beings are not just social - they are also private. Personal.

Personal Media includes your friend's shared items. It includes the comments you leave on blogs. It includes Social Media. But it also includes private updates. Updates from your Intranet. Updates from your family. Updates from broadcast media. Updates that matter to you - no one else.

It even means re-structuring our online interactions around the person - rather than around social tools. User-centric initiatives like DataPortability play a key role in the continued personalization of the web.

Personal Media is about recognizing that people are social and private. They are interested in personal experiences.

The person - the user - is at the center.

Not just Personal Media - Personal Reality.

I don't think talking about Personal Media is enough, however. I prefer to call it Personal Reality. I believe that everything in our lives is getting more personal. Not just the media. I believe it effects our government, education, families, wars and more. I've started to write about it here.

It's time to start thinking about having a Personal Media - and a Personal Reality strategy.