Instead of doing homework or research papers, you will find in most computer labs across campus, students are checking Facebook, Twitter or are using some other online site to socialize.

Gone are the days when people got to know each other over dinner, friends heard the voice on the other line to catch up and Sunday night meant Scrabble over the coffee table. Now people get to know about each other by reading profiles on match.com, catch up by subscribing to Twitter updates and, with the help of Facebook gaming, games like Scrabble are played online with friends across the globe.

But besides creating ways for people to spend their free time, these companies are now creating new job titles and positions that have never existed before.

According to Inside Social Games, a company that tracks innovation and gaming culture online, four out of the top 10 games available on Facebook are created by a local San Francisco, Zynga. The company has had 40 million unique visitors to date and their applications are also being offered for MySpace and the iPhone.

While the California unemployment rate is up to 12.2 percent as of August, Zynga has posted more than 50 job openings in departments, including art and design, and four intern positions are currently available.

In another case, Eva Lamackova, co-owner of Nadared Vodka, is now offering marketing positions at her San Diego location that list knowledge of using Facebook and Twitter as requirements for the job.

"Online social networks have been our number one marketing tool this year," Lamackova said. "Not only you can target and talk directly to all your potential customers, but it's also for free!"

If this new lifestyle continues to progress it will only be a matter of time before people may start asking themselves, why leave the house? You can work for an online gaming company, order groceries delivered to your door and play games with 300 of your closest friends on Facebook -- all with the click of your mouse.