Now, I don't know whether the name means that you have to face the books of your history or the things you have dealt with or will deal with, but we have to vaccinate ourselves as soon as possible.

Facebook is taking over the world, and it is as bad an epidemic as muffin top, three- day stints in rehab, and the latest diet craze.

Facebook is a social networking website that was launched on February 4, 2004, and has been ruining lives ever since.

I couldn't for the longest time figure out why I hated Facebook so much, until recently. It's set up like the hardest time of some people's lives - high school.

Yes, I said high school. Facebook, like high school, ruins lives, relationships, and anything personal. "But how would you know?" you may ask. Well, I am a victim of the Facebook epidemic in the flesh.

It first started with the simple things. I can't exactly remember where I heard about Facebook, but I signed up and was hooked. I could control my settings, what people got to see, and I even found all my childhood friends and K-8 buddies from school. I got to be whoever I wasn't in high school.

I got to be hot and popular. I had a lot of friends, and I was the life of the technological party. Sadly, everything that glitters is definitely not gold. After a while, my then boyfriend joined the Facebook community. That was the worst thing that could have ever happened.

It's like the Pop Punk group Fall Out Boy said in their song "Bang the Doldrums": "They knew it was over, they just didn't know the date." I had no idea that Facebook would cut short not only my relationship, but damage the foundations of friendships I had made over the years due to misunderstandings.

Shortly after he joined, I noticed a slight difference in my boyfriend's behavior. He became addicted to the compulsive, time consuming website. If we were at home, he was on Facebook. When he wasn't at home, he would constantly check every hour, on the hour for updates by cellphone. When I caught him, I'd ask him "What are you doing?" He would mutter under his breath in embarrassment, "Nothing."

"Nothing" indeed. As the months progressed he seemed distant, and Facebook became his girlfriend, not me. I asked him not to be on Facebook while I was around because I hardly got to spend time with him. On Facebook we were the perfect couple; the site was plastered with pictures of us, smiling, with captions like "I love this girl, she's the best girlfriend ever... ladies take notes." And they probably did.

Although it clearly stated on both of our profiles that we were with each other, had been together since 2006, and were considered practically married, girls still pushed it. He began to converse with girls via messages and "the wall," constantly swearing they were all friends.

"Friends" my ass! If they were friends, then why did she almost break us up three days before my birthday because someone tipped me off to his messaging sessions with her, where he was flirting and asking her about what she could do with her tongue ring?

When I asked around, the best explanation I could find as to why this happened was this: "Facebook gets people caught up. You aren't the only one. I've seen others' relationships literally deteriorate before everyone's eyes because it puts your options in your face, and brings people who normally wouldn't be accessible right to you." That was according to one of my girlfriends.

I am not the only one who has suffered, or can suffer from the repercussions of joining the Facebook nation. There have even been stories on stations like FOXNews about the social difficulties Facebook has caused. Kids have been hazed and brought to the point of suicide because of things that were said about them.

Dr. Phil has even done segments on the outrageous behavior that is displayed on Facebook. Employers are even starting to use Facebook to decide whether they want to hire a potential employee or not. Not to see how popular you are, but actually to see what type of person they're hiring.

Facebook has taken over the world. Starting this year, the piece of shit has become standard on all Sprint/ Nextel phones. Why? So we can have DWOFs (Driving While On Facebook)? Wow, it's a miracle that I checked myself into Facebook rehab.

Needless to say, the "Facebook whore" - as I have nicknamed him - and I, are no longer together. Was it a mysterious blessing? Probably so. Or was it something that could have been avoided? Did it destroy my chance at happiness? I'm not sure. But from here on out every time I look at, or think of, Facebook, I remember the chorus from Fall Out Boy's "Hum Hallelujah": "I thought I loved you, but it was just how you looked in the light."

Tell us what you think. Write Spectrum at editor@mcckc.edu.

Copyright 2008 Metropolitan Community College