The Banner

Welcome to an age where the entire World Wide Web is privy to one's bra color. I recently turned on my computer to find a message in my Facebook inbox explaining that I need to post the color of my bra each day for a week.

I laughed to myself until the home page popped up, and my confusion turned into horror when I saw that girls from around the globe were actually telling me what their bra looked like.

Later, even upon discovering that this trend was meant to raise awareness for breast cancer, I still have to hold true to my initial reaction: ladies, some things are just better left a secret.

This example is just one of many that evidences the massive craze of Facebook groups and fan pages that have recently swept over the web. All within three
seconds of viewing a stranger's Facebook page, we might find that he or she hates waking up early, loves the band Paramore and likes to use sarcasm while texting. While none of these traits are world changing or particularly revealing, it does show this generation's need to be associated with others who are similar.

In this new era of virtual contact, it can be hard to relate with the "friends" acquired via social networking. As a remedy people have adapted by making groups and fan pages for "members to connect, share and even collaborate on a given topic or idea" according to the famous social networking site itself.

Are you annoyed when you microwave a Hot Pocket and the middle is still cold? There's a group for that. Do you tend to cough loudly when you walk by smokers and hope they can take a
hint? There's a fan page for that, too. Almost any action, attitude or preference you can think of appears on the site- along with the ability to connect to millions of others who are exactly like you.

Bands, companies, charities, celebrities and even government organizations are adding themselves to the plethora of interest groups and fan pages in order to take advantage of this fad. Numbers grow each day of people creating and joining these groups - roughly 30 for each user. Some examples of the most popular professional pages include: "Starbucks," "Disney," "TWLOHA- To Write Love on Her Arms," "Riverside, California" and "American Idol."

Along with groups created by popular names, thousands of anonymous people make their own random groups about topics that interest them. There is something for everyone with these, ranging from subjects like "Punctuation saves lives.," to "Guys call girls complicated. Have they met themselves?"

These groups make members feel united over similarities that they would otherwise never know. But we must wonder if feeling connected to complete strangers is a good transformation.

Instead of meeting people the "old-fashioned way" we meet people through virtual facets of interaction with unknown avatars. Is this what our relationships have been reduced to? Don't get me wrong - social networking is a great way to stay in touch with friends, talk with classmates and connect with faraway family. But this turns into a problem when it becomes the main medium for meeting people.

In short, do not be afraid to unleash your Facebook groupie side. But don't forget to talk to your three-dimensional friends once in a while too. Happy networking!