If you live in the information age now what will the next age be called?

We can't know until we're there. These things are usually named in retrospect; at best, they are named after they're begun.

Looking at it from the vantage point of 2011, I think we're in the Connected Age.

Facebook launched in 2004, about the same time other relationship-building technologies were catching on, and wireless computing was becoming ubiquitous. To define an "Age", we look at the technologies, the economy, and what was occupying people's thinking during those years. After 25 years awash in information, we started using our connections - both personal and technical (via wireless and mobile) - to deal with life, to filter all that information, and to build community on this vast playground called the World Wide Web.

We also started to realize that everything was connected: the economy and the environment in particular. One major effect in any area of the economy can ripple throughout the globe, affecting money markets in Europe, China, South America, and at home. Anything that causes an impact on the environment affects the entire planet, throwing weather systems, temperature, and ecosystems out of whack.

Thanks to our connections, we have global communication. Anything that makes news somewhere in the world is quickly spread to other parts of the world. With a few clicks and plenty of bandwidth we can know what is going on pretty much anywhere, even in the nest of a Bald Eagle.

We are connected now more than ever before, hence we are living in the Connected Age.