by Billie Meyers

Created on: January 27, 2010   Last Updated: January 29, 2010

Warning: Facebook is Risky Business

Drat! I’m out of energy and stamina, and I’ve helped with 25 jobs in each city already today. What do I do now?

I am a 44-year-old mother of two, for pity’s sake! I have no business spending my days fighting rival factions, laundering dirty money, and collecting stolen loot, but that is exactly what I have been doing every day now for weeks. I can’t stop! I started in New York and have expanded into Cuba, Moscow and Bangkok.

Mafia Wars’ designers are brilliant! They figured out a way to make mafia addicts out of millions of people across the world. Every time I think, I’m going to get up and do something else now, another job or an achievement bonus will roll into the Facebook feed, and I just can’t let it go! I want to be there for my Mafiosi! We are a tight family; we have to stick together; we have to be there for each other!

Oh my goodness, listen to me! The sad part about it is that I am dead serious. This is no joke. I have forged friendships with my Mafiosi. I can’t just turn my back . . . excuse me for a second . . . sorry, I had to help a friend with a war . . . where was I?

We have four people in our household and only three computers. When we are all home there is usually one lost soul skulking around, hoping to guilt someone off of a computer. We are all addicts!

Ironically, the kids have pretty much avoided the lure of the games. Oh, they both went through a brief period of Farmville mania, to be sure, but they have both kicked the habit. My husband resisted Facebook longer than any of us, but now he’s right there with me building his army in Castle Age! I connect him with my mafia members who are both Mafia Wars and Castle Age addicts.

Happily, I have been able to contain my mania to just the one game. This one game is already becoming a problem for me; I can’t imagine trying to keep up with several games like others do. I’m seriously considering starting a twelve-step program for Facebook addicts. I need to work on becoming a healthy, happy Facebook user, because Facebook isn’t all bad.

Facebook has done for me and my friends and family what taking down the Berlin wall did for Germany. I have been reconnecting with friends from high school whom I have not seen for more than 20 years! Cousins that I played with regularly as a child are scattered all over the country, and now, thanks to Facebook, we can keep up with each other without having to write those corny let-me-fill-you-in-on-what-we’ve-been-doing letters at Christmas.

Okay, I’ve gone on long enough here. It's time for my energy pack; I can do some more jobs now. Maybe I’ll stumble onto some good loot!

You have been warned!

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