Fed Up With Farmville?

Dear Doc Beggar:

I realize you're not a doctor yet, but I have a problem and I hope you can help. I've tried to talk with my friends about it, but they all look at me strangely. My family won't even talk to me anymore, not since this all started. When I mentioned it to my therapist, she said, "You what?" and then reached for a teddy bear and began sucking her thumb. Is that what they mean by regression? Anyway, the thing is, I hate Farmville -- no foolin'. Is that wrong of me? I like some Facebook apps, but when people ask me for a cow I want to moo-ve away. Do you think I may have a chemical imbalance?

Sincerely,

Fed Up With Farmville

Dear Fed Up:

Thank you for noting my not-as-yet degree status -- the last thing I want to do is risk my license before I've had a chance to get it! That said, if disliking Farmville is evidence of a chemical imbalance, it's a new one on me. Instead, it sounds like you've made a conscious decision to like certain things and not others. From where I sit, and I am sitting, by the way, that's a fairly healthy approach to Facebook. I mean, unless you have a lot of time on your hands, in which case you could read a book (ahem, mine is one suggestion), you can get lost in App-ville.

The truth is, most apps are no doubt created by ordinary people who want to have a little fun and express their creativity. For example, no one, I hope, takes seriously the idea that one's personality type can be determined by which Harry Potter character they admire the most. Meyers-Briggs would be a better choice if you're into self-exploration. As far as games are concerned, some people derive a lot of pleasure from offing one another in Mafia Wars while others would rather watch The Godfather trilogy and call it good. I'm not much of an organized crime fan, so I tend to ignore both and go for 007, but that's me.

You don't mention whether your family and friends actually play Farmville -- clearly, your therapist does (yes, that's regression, all right) -- but I'm assuming they do. To maintain these relationships, I think the advice given me by a good friend might come in handy: "Keep a smile on your face and your big mouth shut." If that sounds a little too much like bottling up your emotions, you can always go for catharsis. Threaten to join Mafia Wars -- I'm guessing they'll really be sorry, then.

I hope this helps.

Beggar


anshu_si via Flickr