Tenth Entry: On Saying Goodbye to Facebook

Tonight, I will say goodbye to facebook.

The plan is simple. I would ask Arnel to change my facebook password and make him swear never to reveal it until after September. In case of relapse or withdrawal symptoms, I’ll just ask him to open the account for a few minutes just to satisfy my curiosity. But that’s it.

Indeed, the net has helped me a lot with law school. Where else can I get a quick copy of the laws and jurisprudence? Unfortunately, it also opened me to more and more distractions. (Consider further that I’m the type who’s easily distracted.) And much later did I realize that I am spending my online hours more on FB than for “academic purposes.”

So, tonight, hello SLR and my attempt to study early for the greatest exam of my life.

As I was about to leave my FB days behind, I chanced upon a link posted by a friend- ‘Beware Internet Use’, Malaysia warns. It appears that the Malaysian government has cautioned against excessive use of micro-blogging sites like Facebook and Twitter, arguing that these sites could erode the country's culture. The Malaysian information and communication minister expressed his concern that users may be influenced by what they see and hear when using the Internet.

Critics are attacking the backward Malaysian policies with regards to new technology, when ironically, for decades now, Malaysia has been trying to attract foreign investors via the Multimedia Super Corridor. Others are saying that this is merely an attempt to force people to return back to the Malaysian-bought Friendster. Issues of privacy, free speech, free choice, and liberty also come into play. Some are actually defending the minister, saying that the message was merely a reminder on proper time management. Whatever be the case, I believe that people are mature enough to know the consequences of their action. If they chose to waste their time on social networking, so be it. As far as I am concerned, it’s goodbye facebook for now. :)

(Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20100117-247855/Beware-Internet-use-Malaysia-warns http://www.nikicheong.com/blog/facebook-twitter-is-bad-according-to-rais-yatim.html photo: http://www.pitchengine.com/brands/facebookaddiction/logos/facebookaddict.JPG)