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Facebook. Everyone's on it. Everyone raves about it. The status', the comments, the games. Who shot whom with a water gun. I knew Facebook back when it was new. When it was empty. Before it was cool, uncool, and then cool again. I had an account, for about two minutes. When I saw how boring and deserted it was, I figured there was no point in having it at that time. Email worked just as well. Then a coworker insisted I try it again in order to play a game with her. I've been trying to keep it from taking over my life ever since.
Let's look at the issues one at a time. You start making your account. Fill out name, etc. At some point, Facebook suggests Friend-ing some people to get you started. Nice. They don't want you to be lonely. But wait, half the people they're suggesting are people you know or used to know. How the fudge did Facebook know that guy I used to talk to online? And if it was that good, why didn't it know that I didn't want to talk to him anymore? Creepy. And that's not the only thing that makes Facebook creepy. Anyone on Facebook is a stalker. Period. It's unavoidable. Not only does Facebook make friend suggestions, it has a homepage set up for you that tells you every little thing your friends do anytime they're on Facebook, which for a lot of people is practically 24/7. I know when my coworker likes some stranger's status. I know when my brother sends a picture to his online girlfriend *cough*oldguy*cough*. Facebook insists that all of its members be stalkers. It's mandatory. So not only is Facebook creepy, it makes me creepy too. Thanks, Facebook. Updating your status and whatnot can be addictive, especially if you're a computer socializer, like me. So I have to keep myself off of the site so that it doesn't take over my life. Once, I had to pry myself away from the computer so I'd quit refreshing. Don't have anything to say but want to send someone a message anyway? Easy! Start a water gun fight, a food fight, a pillow fight, or send a kiss, a hug, or a smile! If you have even a few friends who spend as much time online as you do, it can turn into quite a battle. But where Facebook really shines, and keeps you logged in as much as possible, is with the games. There are dozens of them. Little addictive life-suckers. They're cute as a button, most of them, and utterly useless. But they're fun and addictive, and that's all you need to kill an evening, or even a whole day if you're playing enough of them. My favorite is Petville. You care for your pet and your neighbor's pets, and they care for yours, and you all collect items and fix up your dream home and wardrobe. It's adorable and has the cutest soundtrack and sound effects. I also play Farmville, which is less cute but has more strategy. Deciding what to plant and when is as much about your own real life schedule as it is about the game's schedule. Again, you can cooperate with neighbors to get the best results. It's almost as popular as Mafia Wars. I haven't tried that one, but it sounds more intense and time-consuming. Many of these games are so popular that they've sparked their own walkthroughs and tip guides. For instance, the Farmville and Mafia Wars Combo Strategy Guides, found at this site. If you play, and you want to improve your score, I suggest checking it out. At the least, you'll get a few gold-making tips for your troubles. A lot of players take these games very seriously, and walkthroughs like that make all the difference for them. Okay, so Facebook isn't a sign of the apocalypse. I enjoy the games, and sometimes it's nice to say hello to people I don't get to see often. But it's still creepy, and it can still take over your life if you're not careful. So play Farmville and Mafia Wars and update your status. Just remember that it's not necessary to refresh so many times. |
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