Facebook

 So my roommate made the decision to give up Facebook for the semester. He claimed that it was a terrible distraction (which it absolutely is) and that I would get more work done if I didn't use it (this is debatable.... I've very adept at finding ways to procrastinate). After a few days of trying to convince me that I should quit Facebook, he asked me a very interesting question... "Why do you even use Facebook?"  I started to answer and then I realized what a good question that was... Why do I use Facebook? So I thought about it for a while and eventually came up with a reason. Then I realized that class wasn't over and that I needed another distraction to prevent me from listening to the professor drone on about something that wasn't actually of importance so I thought about why anyone uses Facebook. So here is the conclusion that I came to.

 So far as I can tell, there are about 3 different categories of Facebook users. People can kind of move between these categories but for the most part, they subscribe to a single archetype. The first category and the one that I tend to fall under is 'the socializer.' These people tend to use Facebook for the sole purpose of using Fb Chat and for updating their status. Basically, socializers miss the era of AIM and other instant messaging programs and use Fb to compensate for the hole in their lives... That being said AIM was an awful awful creation and should remain forgotten. A lot of people actually get frustrated (myself included, I'm a bit of a hypocrite at times) by socializers because they might try to chat with someone who is busy or just doesn't like to use chat. That being said, there's a very simple solution to this. Turn the function off. It's not like it's difficult!

 The second archetype is the photographer. These are the people who obsessively post just about every picture they've ever taken in their lives on Fb. Some photographers are legitimate artists and like to post their pictures and they should have that right and I encourage them to do so! However some photographers post pointless pictures from 'that party last weekend that was totally crazy' that nobody actually cares about. Really though... posting underage drinking pictures? Not classy. Posting pictures of yourself drunk acting like a slut? Not classy. Posting pictures of your new puppy? Not artistic but absolutely necessary. Puppies are freaking adorable and I don't want to hear anyone say otherwise.

 The third category of Facebookers is 'The Creep.' No, not this creep... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLPZmPaHme0. The other creep. The kind that got a Facebook for the sole purpose of going through other people's statuses, wall posts and pictures. And I don't mean like you just friended someone and you wanted to check them out so you look through and album or two. No, I'm talking like you sit down, pick a person and straight up look through all of their stuff. I'm talking years worth of material. Wall posts, statuses, photos, it doesn't matter. The Creep will look through all of them from the present to those pictures of you and your best friend that you posted back when you two were in preschool together. If you ever feel like you're being watched or violated and nobody is around, that's probably what's happening. You've been warned.

 Now all of this being said, I still have to deal with the decision of whether or not to quit Facebook... It is a monumental waste of time. Like there is legitimately no reason for me to use it but I'm not going to stop. Procrastination is just too much fun man. Well... now that I'm done with this I need to find something else to keep me from doing homework.

Until next time,
~A. Turtle