We are getting to, if not reached, a point where Social Networking is fully engrained in to our daily lives. 500 million + active users are signed up to Facebook, if Facebook was a country it would be bigger than the U.S.A! Brand after brand are also joining in the conversations with us, and we – the consumer – actually see our opinions being acted upon (the Gap logo episode is a prime example). What I now find fascinating is the power Social Media could actually have on serious “grown up” issues and important World-changing events… the mid-term elections in the United States is the example I have in mind today. Any company with a good social media strategy would be watching, monitoring and gauging public opinion… I wonder if campaign managers are doing this for their candidates? They need to gauge public opinion during their campaigns and they would be missing out a whole lot of “public” if they didn’t watch the social networking sites as well. Check out this Mashable blog on who’s getting the most Election Day buzz on Twitter. Foursquare has also been getting in on the Election Day action by encouraging people to earn their “I Voted” badges, check this blog out as well. This blog is completely independent and in no way endorses any of the political parties … !!