The ways in which music, films, TV programmes and reading material are purchased and consumed has transformed as a consequence of the online revolution. The digital industry has grown exponentially, and there has been a shift from the physical to the digital across all types of content and services.

The real fear comes from being judged. I'm a selective misanthrope and I do my selecting by watching your social media output. Some of you come across incredibly well but I think some of you are oblivious twats. I hate you. I'd never delete you though - you're my entertainment, my soap opera, my catharsis.

We are used to the idea that online advertising is increasingly personalised and amended in real time to target those individuals with a profile most likely to purchase the product. But what if the information that is held on consumers is, shall we say, a little shaky?

If our top ten blogger is to be taken at (stupidly grinning) face value, then Google are breeding an army of employees that cannot envision a world without Google, a world where the latest Google plugin is a digital Mother Teresa.

Social media suffers from a similar perception. Run a blog, create a Facebook page, do something on Pintrest, have a LinkedIn company page, submit a comment in a forum - it's all free stuff. No online advertising budget required. Write something, click a button.

A 'like' on Facebook or Instagram can make or break a witty status update or a particularly arty and well-angled shot of your quinoa entree. 'Liking' is now the dominant manifestation of social approval; that little heart or 'thumbs up' is now the arbiter of acceptance, of relevancy.

Ever since a certain Mr. Ivy Lee created the first press release on behalf of a railway comapny in the event of a big railway accident more than a 100 years ago, press releases have been integral part of any Public Relations endeavor, be it for individuals, organisations, business entities or government agencies.

There has been a lot of debate recently about how much information we should give away online. Just a couple of weeks ago, Cabinet Office Internet security chief, Andy Smith, publicly suggested that we should use fake details online in order to protect our security. But is this really the right approach to staying safe online?

Recently it was announced that sales of music on CD and vinyl dived 30 per cent in the UK during the first half of 2012, as revenues for streaming services such as Spotify and We7 increased. According to the figures, on-demand services look set to grow their revenues by 40 per cent this year making this the fastest growing sector of the music industry, with predicted global revenues of £696 million this year alone.