Imagine if you will a simpler time. Long, Long ago (four years to be precise) when we had a President people had merely grown apathetic to instead of openly loathed. When a “Twitter” was only the drunken frat boy fantasy combination of a Twix and Butterfinger. When we had never had the pleasure of viewing our buddy the “fail whale” over there to the right. Scary, right?
We’ve come a long way in those four years and the FIFA World Cup is finally around again to fully exploit those changes for the better. The World Cup is the most talked about event in internet history. It’s causing a record number of Twitter crashes. But Why?
Top 3 Reasons the World Cup Has Taken Social Media by Storm:
3. FIFA has completely embraced the internet. For being such a historically conservative and slow-moving entity, they sure seemed to catch up to the times on the internet pretty quickly. You can watch every game online at ESPN3.com, which would have blown my mind if you told me this while I was watching the ’94 Cup on whatever passed for a “TV” back then. Just think, in 12 years, Japan wants to broadcast the games as 3D holograms (!!!!) on soccer fields worldwide. FIFA is wholeheartedly embracing technology and the world is lapping it up.
2. 
Technology is making soccer fun again. Most soccer players would be completely insufferable if we had no outlet to mock them (I’m saying this as someone who played soccer for more than 10 years). Could you imagine watching Portugal’s Cristiano Renaldo (pictured at right) for more than three minutes without being able to publicly ridicule him for being such a ninny? I would have at least three aneurysms a game if I couldn’t curse him out every time he flops over Twitter. Don’t even get me started on the Mexicans, Greeks or French…
1. Twitter is more contagious than any virus on Earth. If you see everybody else on Earth talking about something, you’re going to want to get involved so you can keep up with the conversation. Also, famous people can be fascinating and seeing how they are just like us “normals” is pretty cool. In the long run does it matter that Nas wants Nigeria to win as much as I do? No, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only person in America pulling for the Super Eagles. On the whole, we’re social creatures just looking for acceptance in a crazy world. Seeing our opinions shared by those we love and respect makes us feel good.
It truly is amazing to see how the internet has evolved. Social Media sites like Twitter and Facebook are how we communicate now and probably aren’t going to go away any time soon. If Twitter can make Americans actually care about soccer, imagine what it can do for your business.