Social media are bringing people back to their own communities by empowering them to find colleagues, long-lost friends, fellow enthusiasts and even their neighbors. It’s part of one of the hot buzzwords for 2010: hyperlocalism.

As the world gets bigger, commutes get longer and people get more distant from each other and from their localities, the hyperlocalism of social media is creating the local awareness and connectedness that virtually disappeared when consumers stopped walking down Main Street and started relying on TV for their news. New Web technologies are paving the way, transforming the Internet’s place-anonymous content into useful local information.

With the ability for an individual to tailor everything to his or her taste (the look and feel of gadgets, theme and content of blogs, list of friends and followers), social media is hyperlocalism to the nth degree—leading to the nickname SoMe. It’s the perfect expression, because social media put individuals at the center of their own social world.