The phenomenon that is social networking has taken the student population by storm. First it was Myspace. This website was a breeding ground for people to take pictures of themselves in the mirror, normally wearing their underwear and looking as though they have fallen face first into their make-up drawer. Natural beauty is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Myspace soon encouraged bored and lonely men to message you saying, “Hey hows it going beautiful? Your profile caught my eye and thought I’d see if you minded a chat?!” Yes I do mind, you strange and desperate little man.
Social networkers became restless. They scoured the internet and came across Facebook. Facebook may have appeared a little dull, with no little orange man screaming “online now!” practically begging people to comment walls and photos. However, like a disease, the Facebook infection began to spread. It’s normal for statuses to be updated every time something happens to you, whether you’ve passed your exams or just seen a bee fly into your window. The social networker will be dragged like a magnet to their laptop or computer, feeling compelled to tell everyone about their new socks, or something equally as thrilling.
Some like to include lyrics in their statuses when they are feeling a little emotional, and some even like to recite us passages from the Bible. Who'd have thought it, Facebook is educational. People take everything on Facebook so literally, especially when it comes to relationships. Cue shocked expressions and gasps from a group of girls upon hearing two of their friends are now dating. “But is it Facebook official?!” one blurts out without any way of stopping herself whatsoever. And the reply? A very serious nod of the head. Woah, you don’t question a relationship when it’s on Facebook.
What happened to the days where guys would ask a girl for her phone number? Or when a girl would send her high school crush a note in Chemistry telling him she fancies him? Nowadays its “Hey, you’re hot. You got Facebook?” Nice. Whilst social networking was developed initially for exactly that; social purposes, it seems as though most of us are now taking it far too seriously. Recently a woman lost her job because she decided to air her views on the website, insulting both her boss and her role in the workplace for all to see – including him.
Even Facebook has become a little too dull for some, and forcing them to convert to the religion of Twitter. For research purposes only (honest) I too joined the said site, uploaded a profile picture, and clicked “follow” on about four different Robert Pattinson profiles. Other than that I don’t fully understand the concept of Twitter, and I don’t see myself “tweeting” much in future. Although whilst trying to interpret the various tweets and re-tweets I came across Katy Perry’s profile, and I’m pretty certain she and Russell Brand talk more on that website than they do in real life.
