Are you in Friendster?

Is a question I got several times in my classes already. I always tell them they can't, unless they have mad googling skillz and an iota of a brain for research.

There's an article in Newsbreak discussing the Wired Generation, of why Pinoy youth (and everyone else in the 17-35 age bracket. The idea that I am not in my "middle youth" alarms me. Wah, a few more years and the "I plead the ignorance of youth" line won't be taken as a valid excuse.) seems to be apathetic and impatient and would rather stare at the computer monitor all day and click the mouse than stand up in a looong line to get things done. In the first place, if you can do it the techie (or "tamad" as my mother will call it) way, why not? If you can boot a president out via texting and asking everyone to show up at Edsa wearing black clothes, why the hell not?

Also cited in the article are the various research studies done on Pinoy youth and their use of technology, and also the book Txt-ing Selves which was released by the De La Salle Press last year. (I want that book. Uuy, sa wish list ko na yan this Xmas. *wink wink*) Kids are wired and have lots of time in their hands. Their parents aren't always around, and buoyed by the "express yourself" (wear Penshoppe?) dictum, we spend vast amounts of time stalking people on Friendster. Is this the shape of things to come? Maybe we should just wage war online. You know, another fire in the hole.

So anyhow, this latest issue of Newsbreak (8 Dec 03) with the Noli de Castro cover seems interesting. Articles on Pinoy youth in general, Friendster, whether we're becoming promiscuous like all those latest studies are saying, everyday activism, and what we are reading. I wonder what the books in that list are. I'm beginning to think that people just read stuff online na lang.