Culture networks historically have spun narrative for how we live. Think about it. After WWII, an emerging American middle class decided to expand its options for commerce and camaraderie, so they built highways and a networked culture of early suburbanites was born.

But when we talk about networks today, we see only the technology system that supports the network, not the human structure. It’s the structure and process behind the human connections that’s critical.

The structure empowered by technology allows likeminds to connect, thrive and make global impact -- no matter how micro. Not too long ago, rave culture leveraged digital networks and pioneered podcast. And, more recently, the Tea Party leveraged digital networks to make its stand. Without technology, we might have dismissed the movement as laggard.

To understand where we go next means we need to evolve our perspective on how we look at the systems and unlock the human codes that drive them. If we do not, culture will leverage system decline before we know what’s happening, much like graffiti leveraged the decline of cities and skate culture leveraged the decline of suburbia.