More Freep atrocities (or Jesus Christ I can't believe I go to the same school as these people, I must be pretty dumb after all)

I really really hate it when people talk about stupid things like Facebook and Instant Messenger, even moreso when they take themselves seriously in the process. You can find evidence of this here and here and probably elsewhere. I don't know why, exactly. It's probably just a silly pet peeve of mine. But what the hell is a blog good for if not for indulging silly pet peeves?

Today's entry is called "The social consequences of AOL Instant Messenger" for Christ's sake. Unless you're a sociologist, you shouldn't be coming within thirty miles of this stupid topic, and even if you are it probably isn't a good idea. Anyway, here we go.

We are Generation Y. We were clad in remnants of 80s fashion throughout the majority of our elementary school pictures. We fell in love with the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears, only to later discover we had lost our minds in junior high. We learned to drive when the price of gas was under $2.00. We also came to college incessantly attached to our computers and the fast technology of AOL Instant Messenger.

I know, my life was exactly like that too. By the way, if anyone ever calls me Generation Y again, I'm popping them in the face. Hell if my generation is going to be known for nothing more than following one of the most insulted generations of all time.

The obvious impacts of AIM for the majority of people our age are beneficial. It's instant, for one. No waiting and no hassle, especially with the way the internet runs today. It cuts out the small talk apparent in any other type of conversation because you can get right to the point. If you still have small talk on AIM, you're simply bored.

I can't tell if this part is a joke.

It encourages our creativity by letting us choose from a myriad of icons, and if one does not suit our tastes, we can even make one from scratch. Not to mention the witty and sometimes colorful away messages we come up with.

You heard it here first, folks. Buddy icons + away messages = art.

And I mean, it goes on. Who has the energy to rip apart someone who thinks AIM encourages creativity? It's hardly worth it. It's not even fun. It's just sad. Like taunting a dying animal. If you're interested in reading the whole thing, it doesn't just extol the virtues of Instant Messenger. It deals with its weaknesses as well, like in this powerful passage.

That is, most of our "Jiminy Crickets" have to force us to even slightly interact with humankind, if at all.

If you're less interested in the deep social implications of mindless technology and nauseating masturbatory self-righteousness is more your thing, then check out the weekly column of Sufia Khalid. That's right, she's a Muslim and she's not gonna take any shit about it from anybody! Sufia will give you a great glimpse into another world where Saudi Arabia is more free because they're allowed to wear scarves and say what they want (never mind that Sufia is currently in America wearing a scarf and saying what she wants) and where people care about the disadvantaged! She's a very expressive writer; peruse her archives and watch the broken English spring to life off the page! This week, she examines why BU students are so selfish, kinda like she's done in every column she's written for the past month or so. Anyway, she apparently doesn't so much attend college as must as she just watches PCU a lot (I know I know, I've seen like twenty movies in my entire life and "PCU" is one of them, go figure).

Hundreds of thousands of students have made it into prestigious universities in America, the capital of higher learning. But among them I find potheads, drop-outs, alcoholics and "professional students" -- those who stay in school forever with no intention of graduating...When I talk to friends overseas (who would do anything for the opportunities people here have) and tell them about the drop-outs, the people who are "taking some time off," the potheads and all the other wasteful students, they think I'm seriously exaggerating.

Ummmm...