University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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1,314,665 4997 6700 200,000 85 60 registered users on facebook; this is more than the population in the state of Maine average number of students that poked someone today average number of photos uploaded at berkeley today new accounts created today percent of college students on face- book percent of facebook users who log on at least once a day information from www.facebook.com and www.wikipedia.com 29 m

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tacebook, myspace, and how college students today are affected by techonology. by Sarah Wyman You go to a party dnd meet a guy. You .ittend your first dis cussion and share notes with a girl in Unit 1. You sit through your first club meeting and are introduced to the club president. You randomly have a conversation with someone in the dining halls or at a local restaurant. Chances are, you can go back to your dorm room or apartment, log on to facebook.com, and find out the interests, taste in music, their favorite movies, their friends, spring break and summer plans, their class schedule, their Myspace website, and if they are in a relationship. Sound like stalking? Welcome to the twenty-first century. The growing popularity of technology on college campuses has brought innovations like podcasted lectures, online help, comput- ing centers, and a file-sharing network for the domi BunjetJTaD h iegest phenomenon sefui; ofommecultrireistneproIiferatTonors networks like Myspace and Facebook. Over 85% of students at available schools are on Facebook, and over 20,000 new profiles are Jbeing created each day. Opinions on th websites differ from student to student. Some see Myspace as being more usef undergraduate Mia Ouranitsas comments I appreciate Myspace becausl allows me to still connect with friend wiiil ac e-book is a pathetic waste oi time thai I find mvself addicted to . Howe pr, frr lniiun riiclsea Cohen asserts, Myspace is tilled with creepy stalker people. I mean, there have been murders linked back to Myspace and ii is really unvciilinu Myspace ts seen as less safe because with a working email address anyone can create a profile. Cohen contin- ues, You can be assured that the people who use [Facebook] are in college because you have to supply your college address to get an at count . Undergraduate Paul Duan sees Facebook as useful and Cohen thinks it is practical for contacting people. However, most see it as a waste of time and a detrac tor from studies. Freshman Stephanie Skophammer says, it plunges |my academic career] down the drain. I spent 2 hours last night looking at pictures of my best friends doing drunk stunts while I should have been studying the valence electron shell theory . C3uranitasas echoes, it contributes to nothingness . All students see the addition of High School Facebook as a negative aspect. Cohen remarks, the new availability to high school students is quite a shame in some senses as it is not as exclusive anymore. Duan says, high school kids can go use Myspace . If this digital age has influenced many aspects of social and academic life, its iight- nin s oee Ta dditio iad tudents mor mpanen iT eaniT nTOHTT mPr viewees asked such questions as are you finished with me? and JESUS HOW LONG IS YOUR GOD DAMN QUESTIONNAIRE? near the ends of my interviews. Created bv men now selling them off for millions, these social networks may bolster one ' s social life as Cohen says, but when asked if it improved her own social life, Skop- hammer replied, not at all. my friends just think I ' m a stalker . ( ollfHi ' sludcnls s|uiul morr limi ' on the inlrrnc ' l now Ih.in ever. this ti ' thnoloKv h.i ' . tiommc .1 soti,)l .is wvW as academu domain. [] 28

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