Like the majority of college students in the world, I am a little low on monetary funds and have had to make some tough financial choices throughout my four years. For instance, I now only allow myself to purchase things that are on sale, sometimes I even cut coupons! One of the more difficult choices I’ve made to save money was deciding to forgo cable. I know, I know, how does she do it you ask? Well, I accomplish this feat with a great deal of Netflix and a little bit of mooching off of my friends. However, when it came to the winter Olympics, spending every day at a friend’s house monopolizing their TV was not an option.
Luckily, the Olympics took to social media and cable was no longer a necessity to stay up-to-date on the games!
@Sochi2014 is a twitter account created to constantly update followers on every aspect of the Winter Games. The account tweeted and posted pictures pertaining to every aspect of the Winter Games including:
- the opening ceremony
- the closing ceremony
- the Sochi 2014 Bear
- daily schedule
- scores
- standings
- countdowns to events
And so much more!
Above is an example of a daily schedule @Sochi2014 posted for its followers. Its readability and accessibility made it convenient for anyone to view and download any time of day.
@Sochi2014 also utilized hashtags and Olympian’s usernames enabling its followers to view their favorite topics and stay current on their favorite athletes:
As well as their favorite teams:
We are all aware that social media and the internet in general, are becoming increasingly influential and necessary to our everyday lives. However, witnessing the reach and capability of social media as a communication outlet, specifically in regards to the Olympics, still ceases to amaze me.
Without cable, I have managed to stay tuned to every event and outcome of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. What are your views on using social media to stay current on the Olympic Games? Is it just as effective, if not more, than watching each event live?
The Social Games from #SRUSM 
With the tape delay, I tried to avoid seeing results prior to the airing of the Primetime show. However, I think they did a good job keeping their audience informed. For someone who didn’t have cable, do you feel as invested by just viewing Twitter without the ability to watch it?
I’d have to say no, I wasn’t as invested in keeping up with the Olympics this year regardless of Twitter. There is just something traditional and fulfilling about sitting down and watching the the events with friends and family. However, even if I did have cable, I believe I would still rely on Twitter for quick facts (i.e. news, scores, scandals and outcomes) Especially on days I didn’t have the extra time to spend in front of the TV.
I think using social media can be just as effective as watching the Olympics on cable. There are tweets being constantly posted and everything is covered in some form or another. If you have access to internet you can stream the events that way. I don’t have cable either and I feel just as informed as I need to be.
I felt the same way. I definitely didn’t feel out of the loop in discussions or debates. However, regardless of how convenient and efficient social media has become with updating the public, I will always enjoy the social aspect of sitting down with my friends and family for our favorite events.