Facebook, as we all know, is a very popular social networking website. People from all over the world have accounts on Facebook where they interact with friends, family and colleagues. Now, this website has been highly criticized for various reasons which include distraction of the user from academics, paralyzing the social skills of the individual and sometimes inhibiting the outdoor activities of the person as well.
This was a heavenly boon for individuals who were socially awkward and never got the attention of their peers as they always wanted. Soon the number of such people drastically increased on Facebook. Pappu was no more the clown of the class, he was a hit on Facebook with his charming profile picture (courtesy: Picasa). The shy girl in the corner of the room had an image makeover after she uploaded the pictures with her ‘bestie’ in comic poses (which according to her is a sultry pose). People who did not have a Facebook account were tagged as old-fashioned and boring! Every day after the school, college or work, people started logging in and they were busy trying to prove that no one in this whole universe looks better than them or may be no one is as brainy or clever as them. These pseudo-mating calls, which had no success rate what-so-ever, were euphoric enough for everyone and Zuckerberg becomes a billionaire.
Oh people are smart! Soon everyone realized that there are taboos associated with ‘Facebooking’. Zuckerberg brings in the offline mode and then a new kind of people are born. The stalkers or the ‘invisible vigilantes’ or even more aptly named as ‘I-don’t-facebook-I-am-cooler’ people. Hence, after all the hullaballoo and mind-games, I made a decision. Enough with the boring classifications in chemistry! I will classify the Facebook users with no discrimination at all.
The Ultimate Classification of Facebook users:
1. The Extremists: Users falling under this category are either online all the time or are online once in a year. People online once a year live a good old lifestyle with true friends and laugh at the other extremists who don’t even bother to reply because they are online via cell.
2. The Seasonal Players: This type of user is online only in a particular time period of a year. It can be the vacations or post-examination weeks or maybe during exams as well to use Facebook as a stress buster.
3. The Invisible Vigilantes: The people who are online quite frequently but are ashamed of the fact because of the taboos that I mentioned above. They are very much addicted to the mini-euphoria of the online wonderland but will deny it to the nail. This type of people are usually the ones who develop themselves into online stalkers.
4. The Perfectionists: Users who are aware of the drawbacks of the website but know how to use it for good. They use Facebook regularly but with discretion. The textbook definition of an ideal Facebook user.
5. The Irregulars: The final type of the classification. These people have an eerie pattern of using Facebook and they can play all kinds of roles mentioned above but that varies with time and the given place, but they are hooked to the site nevertheless.
So, this was my classification of the Facebook users. Try to identify your type and use the website for your own good. If I missed a particular type, let me know with your comments.
PS: I wrote an article on Facebook. Please don’t ask me what kind of a user I am!
Well said bro!