Any search marketing agency will emphasise the crucial role social media networking can play in helping their clients establish an online presence and gain recognition. Nowadays it is commonplace to meet industry contacts, business partners and even friends through social media. And of course, Internet dating has drastically altered the way we make romantic connections as well.

Whereas in the past, you might have found your soulmate when your eyes met across a crowded room, these days it’s far more likely that a pretty profile picture will catch your eye in a crowded chat-room or forum. Naturally, Internet dating websites allow you more control over the way you present yourself than a face-to-face social situation, and a growing number of singles looking for love are choosing the safety and anonymity of Internet dating sites over an evening crammed into a noisy, smoky bar or club.

Internet dating success stories are everywhere these days; TechNewsDaily reports that an astonishing 1 in 8 American couples married last year met through social media like an Internet dating site. Of course, social media is not only a popular way to meet romantic partners; it has become a tool to nurture those relationships as well. The Internet dating service is the new singles’ bar, and as an extension of this, the affectionate status update has become the new love letter; emoticons and virtual online gifts are the modern-day “sweet nothings” and tokens of affection. Forget carving your initials on a tree; just write on your partner’s Facebook wall!

The Internet is a free, widely accessible public sphere that couples are using to express their feelings for the world to see. And this isn’t limited to Internet dating services; online proposals are fast becoming the tech-savvy alternative to the traditional down-on-one-knee approach. Most notably was the recent incident in which the groom-to-be proposed via a video message to his girlfriend, delivered by Isaiah Mustafa of the newly-famous Old Spice commercials.

While the opportunities offered by Internet dating sites and social media are revolutionising the way we connect and communicate, Internet dating etiquette can be tricky, and severing online connections is harder than ever. The flip-side of making a relationship public online is an equally public break-up. While social media and Internet dating online give us increased freedom of choice, they also mean decreased privacy and the risk of baring a broken heart to the world. Despite the futuristic glamour of the social media romance, there’s still a lot to be said for good old-fashioned discretion. What are your thoughts? Have you or your friends tried Internet dating, or do you prefer a traditional approach to relationships?

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Romantic Revolution: Internet Dating and Social Media

This year’s Winter Olympics are going to commence in Vancouver Canada today and this year the committee has taken on the online social networking scene with a bang. This year, the committee has focused on the effects of Facebook and used this social network to get people talking about the Olympics. The international Olympic committee has established an official Facebook group that has a (huge) following of more than 1.2 million fans. This fan page gives visitors the opportunity to watch videos, see current updates and click on relevant links. With social networking comes controversy and recently some pictures of the opening ceremony were leaked on Facebook and Twitter. Even though there have been numerous leaks, the ceremony will still be an exciting and thrilling event.

There is not an official Twitter page for the Winter Olympics but one can visit the Verified Olympics list where some of the athletes’ Twitter accounts are listed. This gives die-hard fans the opportunity to follow their favourite athletes online and get some inside knowledge to what they are thinking and feeling.

There are some sports that do not seem to pull in the masses or get as many individuals watching the game as they would for example a rugby game. Hockey for instance. I’m not saying that hockey isn’t a good game; it just doesn’t seem to attract millions of followers. This is set to change however as an America team called the Washington Capitals has become highly popular due to their social networking outreach. Even though they are not viewed on television as much, this team has 95 000 fans on Facebook and 11 000 on Twitter. By using their social networking tools to the fullest extent, this team will gain more ticket sales and therefore have more supporters shouting at the sidelines of their games.

The question remains: will involvement in social networking increase the popularity of sports games and events? Sports have been highly successful in the past without social media and as long as sports remain entertaining for the masses, social media is not needed as a primary source to encourage individuals to attend games and support their favourite team or sporting person. It can however let these sporting experiences be shared with millions as groups can discuss games and post videos and photographs of the events on their social networking sites. Discussion is healthy and we all know that sporting discussions can turn into heated argument in 0.35 seconds, but isn’t that the fun of it anyway?

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Social Media and Sports: taking to the field on standing on the sidelines?