As I sat watching the Olympics closing ceremony along with the rest of the world, I reflected on the last 16 days of back-to-back sporting action, and realised how much I’ll miss spending my evenings in front of the TV watching the highlights from that day.
From the outset of the opening ceremony, Danny Boyle acknowledged historical and cultural British memories, reliving each decade from the Industrial Revolution and the NHS right through to the eras of ska and rave. And what a moment it was when Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, finally received personal gratitude for introducing us to the era of www dot.
This, for me, demonstrated how influential the internet is in society today.
Danny Boyle perfectly encapsulated how technology, mobile phones and social networks have revolutionised the way in which we communicate.
This theme was continued throughout the Games, with technology at the core of London 2012.
Although Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and co. were all up and running by the Beijing Olympics in 2008, it is London 2012 that has been branded the "Social Olympics", reinforcing the level to which we now incorporate these platforms in our everyday lives.
At the crux of it all, nothing has really changed when it comes to the Olympics. It still comes down to who is the fastest, longest, highest – but social media has helped amplify our enjoyment of sport.
With all this in mind, I have reflected on the digital changes that I have noticed during these Games:
1. Behind the Scenes
The digital team coordinating the Team GB and London 2012 social media accounts deserve a medal in their own right! It was a slick operation throughout with real-time updates including messages of congratulations, fun facts about the athletes, sharing images that captured the moment, and re-tweeting positive comments from spectators.
It was also refreshing to see the number of athletes embracing social media to communicate with their fans. Over the last fortnight I have begun following a whole host of sporting celebrities from Usain Bolt to Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis to keep an eye on what they’re doing when they’re not on the track.
Being able to follow live updates from the athletes added an extra dimension to the experience – you were essentially living it with them. Facebook allowed me to see how Jessica Ennis celebrated winning Gold and which press events she was invited to in the days following her win.
I was able to witness behind the scenes footage of Tom Daley hanging out with David Beckham, and how the performers chose to celebrate into the small hours after the closing ceremony.
With celebrities now taking pictures and uploading them to Twitter, we gain a level of insight that we couldn’t have had any other way.
2. There’s an app for that!
During the Beijing 2008 Games I had a Samsung D600 mobile phone and I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread thanks to its slider mechanism to accept and close calls.
Hop, skip and jump four years on and who would’ve believed the capabilities we have from smart phones nowadays.
Right at our fingertips we now have access to the internet; we can watch live TV and download applications to keep us in touch with the Games wherever we are.
London 2012 produced three free official mobile applications available for download on Android, iOS, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7.
A 'Join In' app is a mobile guide that helps you plan, enjoy and share your Games experience, whereas the 'Results' app provides all the latest news, schedules and results. Key features include results, live updates, calendar schedule, medal tables and athlete profiles.
And just for fun, they also had a mobile game featuring nine Olympic sports, including Archery, Double Trap Shooting, 110m Hurdles and Swimming, for users to design, train and improve their athlete just the way they want.
These apps are still available for the Paralympics and can be downloaded here.
3. TV on Demand
The digital switchover has given us access to more channels than we’ll ever require, but it has also allowed us to be in control. In control of what we watch, and when we watch it. Whether it's in HD or 3D, you can now pause, rewind and fast forward television at the touch of a button.
Who knew that the red button on a remote control held so much power? During London 2012 we were able to select our preferred sport through this feature – if, God forbid, it wasn't on BBC1, BBC2, BBC three or even BBC Alba. And if all else failed, there was always BBC iPlayer!
We have been able to watch the Olympics on TV from the comfort of our own homes, on BBC Sport online during our lunch hours, and on iPads / smart phones during our commute home.
Technology brought us closer to these Games. Four years on, the definition of interactive TV has been rewritten. As a spectator we are now in complete control of our own viewing pleasure – down to the option of muting live commentary!
With the closing ceremony over, all eyes are now turning to Glasgow ahead of 2014. I wait in anticipation for the next digital media instalments, and I just hope that Glasgow takes a leaf out of London's book to successfully deliver a spectacular "social" Games.
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