The Farmer's Market

My relationship with Media today is more of an addiction than anything else. My first impulse upon waking is to check my Gmail and Facebook. Rather than eating, making coffee, showering, or simply reading the daily news, I choose to sit in front of my computer immediately after rising. Often, the only pressing matters I discover are half a dozen junk emails and the same three friend requests I have been ignoring for at least a month. Still I set my alarm at night to allow myself two hours to get ready for the next day's activities in the morning. One of those hours is provided merely to sit and refresh the same three websites, practically begging for something, anything, to happen.

Unfortunately this addiction is old news. I can remember the days before Facebook when MySpace was my vice. As a freshman in High School I was exposed to this wonderful social-networking tool. I loved learning the basic html codes that allowed me to personalize my profile. My obsession began with all the ways I could show everyone all about me. It was an easier way to relate with my peers than face-to-face interaction. I felt safer behind my profile and more "popular" than I had before. I also remember the intense fights that ensued between my parents and I. My grades began a steady decline as my addiction spiked. This public forum for very personal communication caused tension between my friends and I.

More recently I have seen the effect social networking websites are having on the rest of my family. My sister, 15, has a Facebook, my mother, 52, has a Facebook, and my brother, 11, has recently requested my friendship on Facebook. This seems like an invasion of privacy, and has only led to more turmoil in our relationships. Previous to joining Facebook my little brother was on Club Penguin. If you are unfamiliar with Club Penguin, it is a virtual reality not unlike Second Life, only for children. They create avatars and skate around going into stores and interrupting each other's conversations. I asked my brother a few years ago why he liked this website and he told me it was easier to get along with kids in Club Penguin than it was in school.

I have since developed a penchant dislike for Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the like for simplifying friendships to a linked profile or tagged picture within their network. Still, I cannot seem to find anything more important to do at 7am than check my Facebook. I don't have as many hours to waste away at the computer as I did at 14, but when I do have hours to waste, you better believe they are spent in front of the profiles of men and women I either have not seen in years, or those I see on a daily basis.

Having recognized this about a month or two ago, I have tried to break the habit. My first coping strategy has been to discover new websites that are interesting, educational and/or entertaining. The only one that has stuck, barring my online banking, Blackboard, and Google from the list, has been Slate.com. I really enjoy the daily photo blogs and editorials on the News. I also like the side bar on the Slate website that links me to articles on The Huffington Post, CNN, The Washington Post, and The Onion. I hope that I will continue to find websites besides Facebook to stalk and I'm open to suggestions. I should delete my Facebook completely; but what would I do while I drink my coffee??