The law of affinity is replacing the law of proximity.
In Gestalt Psychology the law of proximity teaches that "spatial or temporal proximity of elements may induce the mind to perceive a collective or totality." In other words, we assume that things that are near each other physically belong together. This, in turn, leads us to define people by their geographic location. E.g., "We are Americans" or "They are Michiganders." It's assumed that we are similar to the people that surround us.
For most of history this was true. Without far-reaching communications technologies we could only connect with people who were physically near. And, as we interact with our neighbors we exhibit motor mimicry which causes each of us to adapt our own behaviors to match the behavior to those with whom we interact. After a while, and because of mimicry, people living near each other often become quite like one another. This explains geographic cultural differences.
But the arrival of new digital communications devices like cell phones, email, SMS, video conferencing, social networks, et al, has changed the equation. Our social interactions are no longer limited by geography. I Skype with my sister in Prague at no cost. I interact with high school friends on Facebook though we are separated by hundreds of miles. I swap text messages with my wife from an airport barstool without ever exchanging a word with the people sitting beside me, each of whom is using their cell phone or laptop to engage with his or her own social network.
Proximity no longer governs our social interactions. Affinity does. I ignored my neighbors at the airport bar because they were strangers. Proximity was no longer enough. Digital technology enabled me to connect with people I already knew and loved instead. I mean no offense. I'm sure my bar mates were nice folks and I might have enjoyed a convversation with them, but I like my wife a whole lot more and so I connected with her because...because I could.
Ideology is the new geography. Affinity is the new proximity. When digital tools make time and distance disappear, people can organize with those who share their beliefs, their passions, or their history. And they do.
Once, markets were vertical, named for cities and defined by the coverage patterns of their media. Campaigns would target Atlanta, Chicago, and New York. But those places are markets no more.
Now, because people can connect around their affinities, markets are horizontal; cutting across every city and hamlet and jumping from continent to continent. Markets are "people who love icecream" or "people with athlete's foot" or "outdoor enthusiasts."
Keep an eye on this trend. It will shape the future in important ways. Spread the fire. GS
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