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Facebook Becomes "The New Way to Chill"

By Tiffany Holden
Black College Wire

Art credit: David Morris/Campus Echo

Students at historically black colleges have a new hangout � and it�s anywhere there�s a computer terminal where they can log onto Facebook.com.

�I think the Facebook is the new way to chill, and a new way to get to know people from all over,� said Randy Williams, a political science sophomore at North Carolina Central University.

"Facebook is the thing on campus," said Shakethia Robertson, a sophomore mass communication major at Southern University, who is from Houston. "If you go to the library, almost half the lab is connected, including me."

Unlike Blackplanet.com, which the general public can use, Facebook.com is exclusively for high school and college students. They can connect with other people in schools and colleges nationwide.

Facebook was launched on Feb. 4, 2004, by four friends at Harvard University.

They meant to create a little college network, just for fun, but they started a huge college craze.

By December 2004, more than 1 million students from at least 300 colleges had registered with Facebook. Today, at least 46 of the schools are historically black colleges and universities.

Some students spend about 30 minutes a day on Facebook.

"It�s a good, inexpensive way to keep in touch with people from your old high school," said Erica Pender, a sophomore majoring in English education at North Carolina Central.

But others say they eat, sleep and breathe Facebook.

"Facebook is crack," said NCCU business administration freshman Rodney Ward. "I gotta check it at least three times a day, and that�s on days when I�m busy. I can�t get enough. I need a Facebook support group or something � Facebook Anonymous."

Freshman Demetria Green of Tennessee State University agrees that Facebook is "fun, addicting, time consuming, cool and easy." But Green did not recommend revealing personal information such as an address or phone number on the site.

"Some people only get on Facebook to flirt, find a mate, and even stalk," she said.

Students first need a valid college e-mail address to set up a Facebook account.

Once in Facebook, students create profiles with their likes, dislikes and other personal information. They can search for users with similar likes and dislikes, and send messages to each other. Facebook is funded by advertising and is free for its users.

One of its most popular features is �The Wall,� a place where people come to post whatever they want on each other�s profiles.

Members are able to search for other members by name, college, high school and more.

"I just signed up and I am already addicted to the Social Net. People you would have never thought of are connected," said Allison Hill, a junior psychology major at Southern who is from New Orleans.

The Social Net section allows the reader to see others who have registered through his or her school. To be included in the Social Net, a picture in the personal profile is a necessity.

Forming groups is a popular activity.

One group from North Carolina Central is the "The A.H.C.)" or Always Hungry Club. It slams NCCU�s Pearson Cafeteria. It was established with the description: �Central has some nasty . . . food. I starve until chicken day. That�s why I�m always HUNGRY.�

Another NCCU group was founded by Tiffany Buchanan, a junior majoring in chemistry and an Army reservist serving in the Middle East. Her group description says:

�We are the future of this country. We attend this institution of higher learning in order to receive the education we need to do exceptional things with our lives. We are the future movers and shakers . . . we are America�s Worst Nightmare: because we are young, gifted, and black.�

Tiffany Holden, a student at North Carolina Central University, writes for the Campus Echo. Tiffani Logan of the Southern Digest at Southern University contributed to this story, along with the Meter at Tennessee State University.

Posted Oct. 24, 2005