Facebook Games and Quizzes Lure Young Recessionites
October 8, 2009 | Written by Sang Jung
If my friend Robert was a Pokémon, he’d be a Pikachu. If he was a Sex and the City character, he’d totally be a Samantha. I also know what color Rob would be if that even makes remotely any sense. Turns out he has all the qualities of “being” green. But right now, he’s unemployed.
During these past few months, I’ve noticed Rob and most of my unemployed friends spending more and more time on Facebook. How do I know? Because my Facebook feed has been inundated with minute by minute updates on my friends’ games and quiz results.
Now for the record, there’s nothing wrong with playing a few games or answering silly quizzes on Facebook once in a while. For the most part, it’s enjoyable to do and I even find that it relieves stress on those hectic workdays. But I knew Rob was too engrossed in Facebook quizzes when I found out he would make a fine “Hitler” by participating in “What Dictator are You?”
Like some of you, I’ve bought into the idea that Facebook was more than just a site for college students to upload pictures of them hanging out and being “cool.” I believed users would use Facebook as a platform for job placement and professional networking, especially during the recession.
However, what I find is that Rob and most of my unemployed friends are using Facebook to pass the time and satiate the boredom that comes from unemployment.
So beware young recessionites! Spend most of your time on Craigslist searching for jobs and spend less time on Facebook. Instead of being a fictional character and racking up fake money, wouldn’t you rather be what you majored for and start receiving a real salary?
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Tags: Facebook, Recession, Unemployment
Comments (3)
December 12th, 2009 at 4:12 am Posted by michelle
Sometimes facebook encourages some philosophical comparisons.
As Pikachu is very cute and Samantha is also very cute(or even cuter) then that must mean that your friend Robert is cute.
There are some other things it could mean. On a more tangential basis, it could be saying that your friend Robert is a very good personal companion. Or it could be saying that your friend Robert likes people a lot more than most people and has a more than healthy appetite.
There is a saying somewhere: “eat well and you will be happy. eat very well and you will be even happier.”
All this honestly seems to mean is that people use facebook to present themselves and myspace to represent themselves.
December 13th, 2009 at 10:20 pm Posted by Michelle Ma
In terms of working, there are many varieties of work. I’m sure that Hitler pondered for a long time, and Mao swam in a catfish pond. They all thought about various strategies and ways to go about things.
The workspace is certainly an environment that many aspire to. However, productivity can be measured in many other factors. If someone is being motivated by even a rubber duck, and that improves their productivity.
Does not that rubber duck deserve something for the end product of the product to be produced?
The increasing mechanization of society is supposed to make work relatively easy. The art of game theory is to have some attraction to games and playing.
I think your friend Robert can search all he wants but if he really is as “cute” as Samantha. He might as well consider more personal public relations.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:10 pm Posted by Michelle Ma
In cases of severe brain trauma, the games are what actually enable you to do anything at all.
There is little reality in the fictional, but at least with face book there’s a generosity of being allowed to actually try to create.
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