Social media started with connecting users through virtual networks. Now social media connects users via location. Location based apps have been on the rise lately, both in popularity as well as number of apps on the market. This latest fad in recording your location by “checking in” has taken a new turn: geocaching. With geocaching.com, there is a unique twist allows users with GPS devices to input geographical coordinates and find treasures called geocaches. Instead of sharing locations with their friends, users can use locations to find geocaches with treasures left by other adventurers. These geocaches all feature logbooks where you can sign in as well as trinkets or items. They are cleverly hidden and thrill seekers must find their coordinates first and then hunt for the secret geocache.
After you log in on geocaching.com, users can input their zip code and see nearby geocaches. What starts as an online community ends as a real connection community. You can take or leave a new treasure for someone else to find, checking in at the same coordinates you were at. Its sort of like buying a used book. You open it up and think about how someone else at one point was doing exactly the same thing, looking at exactly the same thing. Through geocaching, someone can tangibly feel a virtual community, at least for a brief second.
This post was written by Casey Scholen, of Social Media Solutions LLC
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