why i'm hooked on facebook application

facebook applications (levelling up) and blogging has become a major part of my leisure time (if i have any, so to speak)

so i usually leave the application on, while attending to my children, or sacrifice tv time and while listening to the tv programme, i try to level up in my facebook application.

sometimes, too many applications, have to be discerning. fishing is out for me, farming is in for me, mafia war is out for me. so please do not take offense if i started rejecting to accept application. i already have about 5-6 applications (let me list it down)
1) country story
2) farmville
3) farmtown
4) yoville
5) sorority life
6) barn buddy
7) happy farm
8) restaurant city (which i have stopped)
9) pet society (which i've deleted the pet)
10) Fish a fish (which i have stopped, just not into fishing)

not to mention all the games in facebook that i've stopped playing.

so what got me hook? i do some reflections (i dun just play, i reflect and i draw analogy to life)

1) it get you hook easily because the 1st few levels are always easy to level up, so you feel the satisfaction, the kick and you race to level up more to get more kick (sounds like drugs eh) but as you get into the higher level, you need more point to level up. and like RC, after you reached the max., there is no kick.

that is how drugs get you hook on real life too, i suppose

2) well, you can say, then let go. it's easy to say let go, but after putting in so much effort in farming, plowing, harvesting, it's difficult to let go.

in real life, isn't it the same to let go of past relationships?

3)in real life, it would be impossible for me to farm, so i guess i have to do it virtually though virtual farmer and real life farmer is, i know, so much different.
after my few farm stay stints in perth, i really like to retire on a nice farm. that is provided my health permits.

4) recently, i realised that when you face competition in levelling up, you really seek ways to strategise and compete. so a little bit of healthy competition is good. it improves the entire system. what i mean by strategise is u really work out the details on which crop to grow best, shortest time and give you lots of points. then when somebody else is doing better, you go to their farm to 'check it out' then u apply what is relevant to you. sometimes, you discuss openly and share with each other. then now, though not a huge success, but i'm sharing my secret here.

in real life, it is pretty much the same. Competition improves ourselves, competition with classmates helps to improve your grades. when you are stuck, you wonder how this person do so well, you either secretly learn or you discuss openly and learn.
Next, whatever you learn, you need to experiment to see which suits you best. you apply what is relevant to you. upon achieving success, sometimes, you share with the public like in our case, 'best practice sharing' 'excel fest' etc

it's amazing how the virtual world can capture the essence of the real world.

on deeper reflection,
4) being online, virtual temporarily takes me away from reality. i'm not one who is comfortable sitting down with people to talk, i dun like to socialize (honestly) so sometimes, retreating into my room is my best solution. retreating into my virtual identity gives me temporarily solace.

cowardly? maybe, it's up to you to define, but i'm happy this way. i'm also aware that i have to strike a balance in my spouse relationship (that is where self management comes in) sometimes, things are crazy at home, i really badly need some privacy.

i remembered when i was young, i was very much alone. i come back to an empty home after school since pri 3 or 4. what they call latch key kid. but i'm happy to be at home, so i'm used to being alone at home, i'll find my own entertainment, i'll find something to do.i hate shopping since young. (sounds like marcus is taking after me in this area) however, last time, there was no computer, so what do i do at home?
hmmm, let me think, i'll try on my mum's high heel shoes, i'll pretend to be teacher, i'll put on my mum's make up, i'll do some housework, i'll pour cooking oil into my neighbour's fish tank and then the fish would die (oops). We'll (neighbours) go to the various playgrounds in the neighbourhood (but that was when my cousin, stephanie comes to my house) oh yah, and i have to practice playing the organ. oh yah, not to mention, i pontang my organ lessons on sunday to go to times bookshop to read story books.

so now with so many people living in my house, it was understandably uncomfortable for me. i guess i'm learning the ropes as days go by, but sometimes, i just want my privacy. i'm not giving excuses to why i'm always on the internet and on facebook. i'm just reflecting on why i'm like that (self awareness) i go back to my childhood, i draw inferences, i do comparision (sounds so Social studies)

i will do reality check (not reliability) i check that i'm don't cave myself into the virtual world. i keep telling marcus to come back to reality (he is caved into his imagination world) so i must check myself.