“Oh my god, he totally poked me!”
“Well, poke him back — you’re both in the ‘I Was Trashed In My Facebook Pic’ group.”
“Oh, wait, he’s also in that ‘Fuck All You Haters … I’m Gonna Pop My Collar’ group.”
“Ew, never mind!”
He poked me? What might have seemed like a lead into a discussion of sexual harassment has become
a regular figure of speech. Within
the period of just a few months,
poking, joining groups and facebooking that really cute guy you saw
in last Thursday’s lecture have
become commonplace.
The Facebook, according to its Web site, “is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities.” For those not part of the soon-to-come “I’m Addicted to Facebook” group, here’s the rundown: Any person with a university e-mail address can join, post a picture, write information about him or herself, start or join groups and add friends, spouses, etc. Users can even click on items in their individual profile to find others with the same classes, interests or favorite music.
Unlike other online communities such as MySpace, Facebook “is
a mirror image of what exists in real life,” according to founder Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with Current Magazine. Zuckerberg
eats dinner at Jack in the Box and punctuates his sentences with the phrase “which is really sweet.” Zuckerberg, not even old enough to legally purchase a beer at the time of that interview, has, with the help of a few friends, created one of the most amazing resources of our time.
The Facebook, amazing? Yes. It strikes this columnist as more than wonderful that some of the brightest minds of this generation are using their talents not to build nuclear bombs or attack home computers with viruses or spam, but to help people make and strengthen communities of friendship. And that is a laudable goal.
In terms of material for the sociology or anthropology of sexuality, Facebook provides a plethora of material. Members can post their relationship status, which sex they are interested in, and if they are looking for friendship, dating, random play or “whatever I can get.” I haven’t actually heard of two “whatever I
can get” facebookers finding one another and getting whatever they can, but I don’t doubt the occurrence of such events. Even being fairly liberal about sexuality, I guess I’m still old-fashioned when it comes to concepts such as “meeting the person you’re about to sleep with” and “checking to make sure he or she doesn’t have any venereal diseases before you shack up.”
Nevertheless, Facebook is the
perfect venue for discovering if that cute guy you see every day on
the bus is single or if that wicked-hot girl in chemistry lab is interested
in men. It’s socially acceptable by Facebook standards to message someone because you’re in the
same group, enjoy the same music, or both think that “Underground
Hip Hop Tastes Better Than Candy Bars.” Opportunities like these
to form random connections do
not exist in any other arena. How
often do you see a bumper sticker proclaiming “I Know and Enjoy
the Aicha Dance?” Facebook offers
a wonderful way to make these
random, yet possibly meaningful, connections without appearing
(too) deranged.
Yes, our personalities are being defined by strings of “I Heart Blank” and “Blank is Fun,” and groups exist more as a means to prove one’s identity rather than as places to arrange actual baby-seal-clubbing expeditions. Still, being able to put yourself out there for acquaintances, friends and possible love interests feels pretty damn liberating. Gone are the days when one had to take twelve shots before daring to approach a random person.
In true Facebook fashion, while researching for this article, I requested the friendship of every founding Facebook member. No response yet, but I’m confident that each one will soon realize the strength of his or her individual bond with me. Especially Chris Hughes; what a cutie! Maybe he’ll join my “I Heart the Creators of Facebook” group.