Meeting partners online has become more common over the past few years, especially with the dawn of social networking. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have provided a venue for single people to find their ideal match despite the existence of online matchmaking websites, such as OKCupid and Match.com. However, analysts say that matchmaking services do not need to worry just yet because the U.S. online dating services industry is expected to grow to as much as $2.3 billion in value by 2016. This suggests a bigger market with enough space for additional players.

What is interesting about the phenomenon of couples meeting on Facebook and Twitter — as opposed to a more narrowed down website specifically meant for dating — is that potential partners get to analyze each other on a more sincere and genuine level. According to studies, encounters on social networking sites are more revealing, where tweets or status updates can give partners a live and intimate snapshot of their partner's life. The exchange of replies through these websites also replicates a realistic form of flirting in the non-digital world. Perhaps most important of all, use of these services is free.

A study conducted recently with the title "First Comes Social Networking, Then Comes Marriage?" suggests that almost 21 percent of spouses who got married after meeting online between 2005 and 2012 found each other through social networking sites. Surprisingly, people who met offline in school represent the same percentage of marriages.

Jeff Hall of the University of Kansas, an expert on flirting styles, noted that this phenomenon more or less took place without attracting much attention. The author of the study found that these marriages have roots in older social networks, such as Classmates.com and MySpace, both of which were popular prior to the rise of networking giants Facebook and Twitter. Participants in the study found that the free social networking websites provided a more natural venue for meeting people and getting to know them better, labeling matchmaking services as "too direct" and "awkward."

So, if you're considering starting a serious social media relationship with someone new, you might eventually want to consider a social media prenup.