Confession of a Facebook addict. :S

Ok, this is not new.. I've openly confessed to be prone to addiction. No, not drugs/alcohol/ tobacco types, but something that can be equally insidious I feel.

I'm addicted to Internet and all its fun and frivolous stuff.. :(

Even before I owned a computer, I had already been through many phases of pretty serious addictions. i remembered i was so hooked to Gameboy's Tetris more than a decade or two back(?) I played for hours after college till wee hours in the morning.. and then when i had my computer 11 years ago, I began to discover the games that came with Microsoft Windows and one of them was Solitaire. That got me interested for a while, and then Mine Sweeper...

Once I saw my former colleagues playing the online Scrabble program, and when I tried.. I couldn't stop!! Since I could just play with the computer, I played like mad.. (and yes it did hone my Scrabble skill) It got quite bad but eventually I went off it after a few months.

But when I got over those games, I began to get hooked on the Cyberspace itself such as ICQ and chat rooms. Then I also discovered various interesting games websites. Basically I had been a Net addict for as long as I had Internet access!! Oh yeah, then there was MSN and Yahoo Instant Messenger which kept me and some friends chatting for hours almost daily!

In recent years, maybe the novelty dies off and maybe everyone is busy or perhaps become more mature (or so I thought!), my friends and I had not chatted much these days on line.. But then, I discovered the world of blogosphere, and even set up my own.. and reading blogs and updating my own got me quite busy and `65 per cent addicted!'

Blogs already were keeping me busy enough.. but it pales into the background now that I have a new addiction! Never did I anticipate I could derive such enthusiasm and fun from this thing called FACEBOOK!

When a friend invited me join a couple of months back, being a Net junkie, I did it, thinking it's just one of those other friendship networks.. (FYI, i am already on Friendster, Hi5, Tagged and a few more I've forgotten!) And I never really spent too much time on them..maybe sometimes browsing through friends' profiles on Friendster when I'm bored..

I only started to discover what Facebook has to offer last month. The creator of this site must be quite a genius! Besides being able to keep in contact with friends like other similar networks, it comes with so many `applications' - including message boards, cyber-pets, virtual gifts, food fights, quiz, games you can play alone and play with friends, loads of other creative stuff, you name it! And I think there must be like hundreds of those `applications'!

It grows on you. In the last week or so, I have been spending so much time on Facebook! Also because many of my friends are on it, so there're quite a bit of interaction. But i think i got a bit overboard with the many applications and activities, so much so that three nights ago, i received a message from a stranger (well, friend's friend who now has become a friend on Facebook) who accorded me the`Queen of Facebook' - based on my status confessing i'm addicted and also the long list of varied stuff on my profile page. I was amused but not proud. I mean, if I'm like 18 then maybe it would feel different..

But guess what, I'm not alone! Though Facebook seems quite childish and seems to target young people, my group of friends are not that young.. and I also find many older people on it too, such as Patrick Teoh. :p and i'm sure he is not the oldest there.

In a way it's great tool cos I was re-connected to some friends and acquaintances that I've lost touch with! In just a short time, I have accumulated close to 100 friends - looks like everyone who uses the Internet is on Facebook!

How addicted I'm? Gosh..I think I have been spending at least 3 hours nightly on it. So many things I could do - from reading other friends' profile to playing quizzes and games (by myself or challenging another) and many more.. Then last nite a 2:30am, I suddenly had the urge to `spam' many of my friends - by throwing food at them, giving free gifts or just do something silly... I thought I was going a bit mad. But I received a few reciprocal `actions' today..

Oh well, I really do hope this is just another fad that will go away soon.. I mean for myself. But right now, it's quite difficult to ignore it. If you are not there already, check it out for yourself.. (and feel free to add me! ;)) But be forewarned. It can be highly addictive, especially if you are a Net junkie and have an addictive streak like me.. sigh.