There are a lot of normal things one must do or wants to do on a daily basis. Keep in touch with the family. Contact your friends. Read news articles that interest you. Inform people of party plans for the weekend. Find out what’s happening in your buddies lives. Listen to new music. Look through photos from your past. Find out if that cute girl in your class is seeing someone. Right there is a literal list of things people do on a daily basis, but just how can they find time to do so in the busy lives we do or should live?
To the Internet!
Come on, it was obvious where this article was going. The Internet is pretty awesome, most of us can agree. Where else can you find information on the latest Alf DVD boxset while watching an entire stadium of people get Rickrolled at the same time as planning your night with your friends and still be getting your paper done? Unless you have some sort of mystical telekinesis that allows you to do all these things and more at the same time (and if you do, share the wealth), you are probably utilizing the information super highway in one way of another.
So since most of you reading this, excluding staff and proud parents (Hi Mom!), are college students, you know that not only do most of us use the Internet, we can’t live without it. I know some of you are thinking otherwise. “Oh no, I don’t need the Internet. I do all my studying in the library and chat with my friends via messenger pigeon.” Well, you are apparently a better and less time efficient person than the rest of us. Until smoke signals get back in style, most of us will continue using AIM.
One of the more perturbing lack of Internet usage is when that one friend just won’t sign up for the precious Facebook. It’s probably more annoying to get bugged to use Facebook by your buddies, but it would make their lives easier. Yes, maybe it takes too much effort to call you and invite you to a party instead of sending an Event Invitation. Maybe it takes too much effort to message you on a messenger program instead of on Facebook chat. Maybe it takes too much effort to actually show you photos instead of tagging you in them. Maybe it takes too much effort to keep up with your life instead of watching your newsfeed for relationship and status updates.
Alright, maybe those things don’t actually take much extra effort, however it is slightly annoying to make an exception for that one stubborn friend who still thinks Myspace is the way to go and will eventually rule the world. On the flip side, it must be a pain in the ass to miss lot parties or what have you due to “oh sorry man, I made a Facebook event.”
Not only is the Internet so important to us, we can’t just wait until we get home to sign on. People constantly open up their laptops on the train, waiting for the bus, or while getting a cup of coffee when they can catch WiFi hotspot. Not only that, but there’s an increasing number of phones that are becoming more and more efficient and capable of doing all the things your used to doing on your computer. Not only can some not wait to catch a signal for their laptop, they have to have the Internet whenever they are in the mood to watch Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello” on Youtube (not that that is a bad urge to have).
Yes, in this day and age, the Internet rules. This much is true. Without it, we might have to contact people in person and actual leave the house to get things done. Alright, when you say it that way, it could be misconstrued as such. As long as your careful with your usage, it can be a glorious tool.
That, and don’t be a dick to those who don’t have a Facebook. That’s just not cool, man.