Spring Break
Facebook "25 List" haters aren't as cool as they think
Matt Holand
Issue date: 2/13/09 Section: Forum
Facebook has recently divided itself into three camps: those who have participated in the "25 Things About Me" list, those who haven't and those who haven't but maintain a mistaken sense of pride about their abstinence. Here are three points I've seen the latter group attempt to build their case with, along with my attempts at rebuttal:
"It takes too much time to fill out." Most people could probably fill it out in 15 or 20 minutes. If that's too much time for someone, then they might want to loosen up their schedule. But hey, I wouldn't want to cut in to anyone's YouTube time.
"It's not a genuine way to get to know someone else." I'm not sure why a person alive today would even think this. Between blogging, texting, e-mailing, chatting, MySpacing and - surprise! - Facebooking, electronic and online communication are some of the primary ways we interact and become acquainted with each other. I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but the claim that "I can't get to know someone through Facebook" is false.
"It is a 'viral trend' and people who participate are 'zombies' or 'tools.'" I'd like to point out that Facebook is just an expanded version of the "25 Things About Me" list and most of the anti-"viral trend" people use the very same medium they're complaining about. Just owning a Facebook account makes one a part of a "viral trend," and now the anti-"viral trend" folks are using Facebook itself to scale the Mt. Everest of irony.
Mock "25 Things About Me" lists are being posted, filled with 25 clichés or 25 reasons why those who refuse to fill one out are above the rest of us. At least one anti-list Facebook group has been formed, titled "I'm not a zombie, so I won't do the 25 things thing" with the description, "A group for anyone who refuses to go along with viral 'trends.'"
Not only are they filling out mock lists - potentially wasting more time on satire than on filling out an honest list - but they're creating and joining groups to make the statement that they aren't susceptible to "viral trends."
"It takes too much time to fill out." Most people could probably fill it out in 15 or 20 minutes. If that's too much time for someone, then they might want to loosen up their schedule. But hey, I wouldn't want to cut in to anyone's YouTube time.
"It's not a genuine way to get to know someone else." I'm not sure why a person alive today would even think this. Between blogging, texting, e-mailing, chatting, MySpacing and - surprise! - Facebooking, electronic and online communication are some of the primary ways we interact and become acquainted with each other. I'm not saying this is a good or a bad thing, but the claim that "I can't get to know someone through Facebook" is false.
"It is a 'viral trend' and people who participate are 'zombies' or 'tools.'" I'd like to point out that Facebook is just an expanded version of the "25 Things About Me" list and most of the anti-"viral trend" people use the very same medium they're complaining about. Just owning a Facebook account makes one a part of a "viral trend," and now the anti-"viral trend" folks are using Facebook itself to scale the Mt. Everest of irony.
Mock "25 Things About Me" lists are being posted, filled with 25 clichés or 25 reasons why those who refuse to fill one out are above the rest of us. At least one anti-list Facebook group has been formed, titled "I'm not a zombie, so I won't do the 25 things thing" with the description, "A group for anyone who refuses to go along with viral 'trends.'"
Not only are they filling out mock lists - potentially wasting more time on satire than on filling out an honest list - but they're creating and joining groups to make the statement that they aren't susceptible to "viral trends."
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