 Congrats, you've just been “Facebook”-ed!
Yay! The midterm session is over! Now I can revel in laziness, with my eyes glued to my
laptop's sincere monitor that has always welcomed me with a big smile whenever I’ve
pressed the "on" button. I can't help but feel the wind of nostalgia blow over
me (a little bit of 90's grunge, a few tears and away we go) as I remember the first time
I got a computer with a full-time internet connection. From that first setup, the
evolution of the worldwide web has played like a movie in my mind. I think back to the
times when we used to wait for minutes, which could often be stretched to hours, to get a
proper connection; when “Yahoo” still remained as a mystery; when “Hotmail” meant
nothing more than simple e-mailing. This nightmare experience has left me scarred - god,
those were harsh times. As technology improved however, we, the avid net-fans who jump at
every opportunity to use our keyboards, monitors and modems, have been introduced to
“ICQ” (the flowered hippie-style communication service that rocked our worlds for the
first time), “Google” (so influential that even the name “Google” has replaced the
word “search” in nearly ever language), “Youtube” (are there even any word
combinations to describe this site? If so, maybe I should just quit this whole column
thing. lol), and so many other time wasters. We've devoured the “products” that have
popped up on the internet, become more experienced, have grown tired with the old, and now
are welcomed by yet another network: “Facebook!”
Knowing that almost everyone reading this right now already has an account on this popular
website, and has finally found some of the elementary school friends that they have been
searching for (sorry, I should say “Google”-ing), I won't go into the formal details
and descriptions about “Facebook” as most of you have likely learned about it with
your own efforts. Maybe there still remains some who refuse to become a slave to the hyped
up popularity that eventually becomes a harsh burden, yet my experiences tell me that
there are not many left. As a regular visitor to the BCC-labs, I admit that I mostly take
a quick peek at what other Bilkenters are doing, and the monitors more often than not
reveal the bold-fonts of “Facebook,” with a list of friend requests, application
invitations, and club meetings. (Is it just me or the bcc-labs are more crowded than
ever?) I, for example, go online with great frequency to check out whether an old friend
or acquaintance has decided to build a bridge, or whether there is a new event going on at
Bilkent, or simply just to see who has written on my wall. Finding old friends seems
really interesting and exciting at the beginning, but gradually, like with all of the
other products the trusty internet has introduced us to, we often start drifting, no
longer searching for those friends or even contacting the friends we have “friend-ed.”
Instead, “Facebook” finds other ways to keep us locked in front of our monitors while
there are so many other responsibilities waiting that need attention. Admit it, how many
of you postponed studying just to take a “Facebook” quiz? How many of you submitted a
few not-very-well organized essays because of the long nights spent sending invitations to
friends? I suppose the number cannot be underestimated.
So what are we to do? Should we allow this mania to rule our lives like the previous
others have? Or, should we simply reserve our computers to be tools in assisting us with
our lists of "things to do?" Should we go on with that "never-ending movie
quiz," or pay a little more attention to next week's assignment? I guess the answer
remains only in you, the “Facebook” user who can either keep feeding your addiction
and postpone life, or go out and live while the network waits for YOU. It is your life,
your computer and your “Facebook” account. Whatever direction you choose, don't forget
that “Facebook” is like the many other internet fads we have been introduced to: we
love them, we use them 'til we get bored, and then we dump them. Come on, how many of you
who still use “ICQ?” No matter how permanent they seem, these networks tend to be
doomed as just a temporary diversion. Farewell and stay tuned.
P.S.: To those who keep sending me the "vampire" application,
please grow up, will you?
Iþýl Kutluay (ECON/II)
i_kutluay@ug.bcc.bilkent.edu.tr
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