...and I'm a Zynga-holic.

I will admit right now that I am relatively new to FaceBook. I've had my account for perhaps a year and a half. I only first signed up to get/keep in touch with my widely dispersed family while my father was extremely, fatally ill. My assumption going in (logging on?) was that I would jump off as soon as it became of little use to me. I thought the whole idea of social media was overrated. I came from the school of thought that interpersonal communication needed to be face-to-face or ear-to-ear, or at least between people who were readily in touch, in order to be more than simply the manifestation and perpetuation of para-social relationships that really didn't go anywhere because they weren't actually...real (my goodness what a snob). But then I started finding more people. Friends with whom I'd lost touch years before, high school pals I never thought I'd see or hear from again, relatives I don't know very well. The whole experience became intriguing and fun. I was a happy convert. Then, it happened. I try to remember how exactly but it remains a bit of a blur... As I recall it started with an invitation to be someone's "neighbor" in something called Farmville. I ignored the first couple of invites, content to post the occasional moment or Nora-ism and read about the events and thoughts of others. Then the gifts started coming. A sheep here, a horse there and suddenly I found myself asking people (I think my brother was the first but he had moved on from FV) how to play this suddenly interesting game.

It is silly, I thought, but harmless so I gave it a go. Ha, if only I had known! I started out small and simple; a small piece of land with some crops, trees and a few animals. Soon it became, "How many neighbors can I get?" and bugging my husband to sign up so I would have an instant source of gifts (hehehe, kind of like real life :P ) Just when I thought I had the gist of this new past time, I received an invitation to join Fishville. Oooh, what is that?! My eyes were soon ablaze with the glow of multiple tanks and exotic species. Little did I realize just how much of my life these so-called games would steal; how readily I would become a slave to the will of the "Villes" (not Cruella De, but Farm, Fish, Frontier, and City). I would rush home and make sure to sign in before things "withered" or died of starvation. I would spend hours rearranging, designing, buying and displaying decorations, homes, themes, and even market stalls from which I would sell my produce. My drug of choice did not simply originate in the magical land of Zynga. Oh no, I also partook of the elixirs of Island Paradise, Mafia Wars and, School of Wizardry. While I admit I merely dabbled in the latter two as their draw was not potent enough for me. On the contrary, though, the Zynga games had me hooked. Before I knew it I had been playing these things for over a year (I knew that because I had Halloween decorations from two different years). I had amassed a "mighty plantation," various orchards, expanded horse barns, the "giant coop" and now had expanded my holdings to the U.K as Zynga introduced yet another reason for me to fritter away time in front of the PC. My "city" in Cityville boasts farms, a theater, courthouse, Chinatown, Little Italy, a port and an observatory! I was rolling in it all; sending and receiving gifts from "friends" who were now my neighbors. I never thought twice when I asked David to tell me who of his friends played the same games so I could "friend" them too (with the outright admission that I needed gaming neighbors!).

Did I ever think I had a problem? Of course not! I am in control; I can stop whenever I want! Yeah...

So obviously this post is written in jest, but still I did find myself wondering where my time was going. Why wasn't I getting things done as much as I thought I should? What had changed that made me jump on the computer the moment I arose and check it several times daily? And why, oh why was my ass getting wider and flatter? It was a mystery not hard to solve. Jeez, am I so without a life!? If I was prone to conspiracy theory I would blame the subliminal messages being broadcast by Zynga whenever I logged on to one of the Villes. Alas, I think I suffer what many in a similar position do. I work stupid hours, in a job that is equal parts joyful fulfillment and theater of the absurd. I am tired when I get home. All I want to do is rest and zone out for a time and forget the hassles of the day. The Zynga games allowed me that escape with little effort and little cost (and yes, I did succumb to actually buying FarmCash a few times, 'nuff said ;) I think people get on because it is a chance to commune, in a way, with other like-minded (at least in one way) people who may be bored, broke, lonely, exhausted or all of the above. Also, humans tend to be herd animals, playing games solo is fine, but the idea that others may be doing the same thing (maybe even at the same time) presents a feeling of being a unit in the greater multiplicity of a system. Or, maybe it's as simple as cute graphics, harmless maneuvers, a feeling of control and even fantasy (I, for one, would LOVE to have a real farm like my play farm, especially if  it was that easy, clean and cheap :D).

Last night I made the big break. I banned the Zynga apps from my FB account (except I learned that my neighbors can still visit and partake!), removed all notices from any of the three games I played with such verve and dedication, and today spent a grand total of 15 minutes online (until this post). And whereas I cannot tell you what I did last Sunday, I can tell you that today I cleaned house, re-potted several plants, brought others out and showered them, worked in the yard, baked a cake (from scratch even!), read the People magazine tribute to Elizabeth Taylor and did several loads of laundry. Will I backslide? You bet. I still find these games amusing and diverting, but I need to keep it all in perspective and remember that moderation is the key (like chocolate and margaritas). I do think I will keep it cold turkey for a few days, just to get loads done (not to ensure I can or anything...). The experience as a whole has made me think, but still I wonder how the sheep are doing on my English farm...