Online U.S. hookers affecting sex tourism here

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Social media like Facebook and Myspace, among others, have officially overtaken pornography as the No. 1 activity on the Web. Obviously, people have not lost an interest in sex, but clearly the marketplace is moving, growing and operating with relative impunity in the United States via social networks.

This kind of global social change has implications for Costa Rica, and it could mean that the problem of sex tourism will come to an end. However, on the other hand, it could make it much worse.  When living in Costa Rica, it is easy to lose touch with what is happening in the United States and other parts of the world.  The fact that cities like Houston, Chicago, Dallas, and Miami have been turned into virtual brothels is something that an expat might have missed if they have failed to keep up with technology.

Social networking endangers country's image

By: Garland M. Baker B.

Exclusive to A.M. Costa Rica

Editor's Note: While this article was accurate at the time of publication, some information may now be outdated. We are currently preparing a comprehensive update. Sign up for our Alerts to be notified as soon as the revised content is live!

Internet social networking accelerates life in the 21st century. It also proposes challenges to everyone doing business in Costa Rica.

More importantly, all the negative remarks about Costa Rica are going to kill the country's tourism future because the negative runs rampant through social networks. The country's marketing system had better catch up fast. The country is plagued with bad reports, from out-of-control property thefts to Americans getting beaten up at popular tourism destinations.

Social networking is the practice of expanding social contacts through connections among individuals, and although the process is as old as civilization itself, the Internet has accelerated the pace while increasing the amount of information that can be shared.

For those living in Costa Rica or considering relocation here, the Internet social networks are as important as ever. While in the past much of the information has been disseminated by those with a profit motive, the Internet social networks allow individuals to share first-hand information and experiences. A person can now consult instantly with dozens of other people to determine if retirement in Costa Rica would fit their lifestyle or if a particular doctor, dentist, or real estate broker has a good reputation.