facebooks (not so) anonymous

Much has been written about the good, the bad and the ugly about Facebook. But one thing is sure, it can be awfully addicting.

No less than the talented Lea Salonga has confessed to such an obessession in her PDI column.

In my headless-chicken existence where I juggle mommy duties, domestic diva-ness and law school drudgery, Facebook is a very welcome respite. But the two minutes I promise myself in between doing the laundry, making everybody's beds, sterilizing milk bottles, picking up toys strewn endlessly all overthe house, and rushing off to get to class on time, soon turns into an hour or so of "mindless waste of time".

But that hour or so can be the very thing that lets me keep the vestiges of my (in)sanity.

A friend who juggles motherhood and lawyering actually took time to master the "art of facebooking" last christmas break. Now she sends me all sorts of whatchamacallits almost every day.

Another friend who took time off from her career to take care of her babies had the time and energy to upload the birth of her son a day after delivery, apart from the regular photo and video uploads of her older child.

Indeed, despite the "publicness" of facebook, it can be quite engaging. For me it is a great substitute for my non-existent social life where my constant movie buddies and food trip companions are still my kids. I still balk at uploading videos for security reasons but no mom can resist posting photos of her angels on facebook.

It is also a great way to find long lost friends whom you haven't heard from in decades. Either you find them or they find you. One time, I think Sir Rudy appeared on people you may know. However, the window disappeared before I could add Sir Rudy, if indeed that was Sir I saw.

Anyways, the charm of Facebook is the ease with which it links you up with whomever you wish to interact with. 

A couple of years from now, there may be another social networking thingy to replace it, but for the meantime, it is a great substitute for any other form of addiction in this recession-almost-Great-Depression-state we all are in. 

So, my name is Chenalyn Chenalou and I am a facebook addict...