We all know that social media sites such as FaceBook, MySpace, and Twitter have become a huge part of how the world spends their days. And we all know that spending too much time on these sites can become an issue. Parents have to monitor the amount of time their children spend online. Companies have to block these sites so that employees actually get their work done. Even I have days where I don't allow myself to go on FaceBook because I know I won't be able to get much work done if I sign in.
For those that think the amount of time spent on social networking websites is harming your life- you can now consider committing virtual suicide.
Two websites, Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and Seppukoo, enable individuals to rid themselves of their online presence, calling it a virtual suicide. With Suicide Machine, you can forever rid yourself of your FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and/or MySpace accounts, while Seppukoo is only capable of committing FaceBook suicide. With the somber intent to commit online suicide, both websites seem to be pretty absurd and extreme.
Seppukoo, which means ‘stomach-cutting' in Japanese, is a website designed to help people commit virtual suicide by de-activating their FaceBook accounts. This website offers a customizable memorial page where user's can choose their background with designs such as skeletons, skulls, clouds, or even a picture of Jesus. Users also have the option to include their last words for all of their friends and family to see. The website tells users that they can share their memorial page on their favorite social networking site, but doesn't that defeat its purpose?!? I thought their intention was to get people to stop using social networking sites? Seppukoo also says that you can reactivate your FaceBook account simply by logging in, which makes me wonder, what's the point of this depressing website anyway?
Suicide Machine seems to be designed a bit better because your online death is permanent and not just a weird memorial page. Their motto is "Tired of your social network?" and "You want your actual life back?". Suicide Machine aims to end your online life in order for you to get your real life back. In this creepy, yet entertaining video, Gordon Savicic, explains how ‘mails' make people stupid. And maybe he's right- after hearing the way he talks in this video, I feel a bit stupider myself.
"You know, scientists proved that sending and receiving emails actually makes you more stupid. What about all these mails you get from all these social network related people? Most of the time you don't even know em. It doesn't make your life better; most of the time you think you're missing something. And above all, it makes you more stupid." Savicic then goes on to say that you should "Sign out forever. It's your life; it's your choice".
Strangely enough, Suicide Machine lists social networking sites FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace as their partners. So even though Suicide Machine is trying to get people to STOP using these social networking websites- they also claim to be partners with them? It all seems kind of backwards to me, especially since FaceBook has blocked their IP address, which brings us to the question- Partners or Enemies- which one is it?
Suicide Machine boasts that more than 875 people have already ‘died' and they have unfriended more than 58,000 friends and removed more than 203,000 tweets. So I decided to make a new MySpace and Twitter account, just to test this whole thing out. During this process that took less than a minute, Suicide Machine kept me informed. They first stated that they were booting and to "stay calm". Next they said that "in 15 seconds you will be given a virtual lethal injection" which they then counted down. However, my suicide was not a success, so that's as much as I can tell you. I tried three times but my access was restricted because of a bad IP address.
I also tried to "commit Seppukoo" but since December 16, 2009 they have been "under attack" by FaceBook, preventing people from using Seppukoo to execute their own virtual death.
For legal reasons, both websites claim that their suicide options are currently inaccessible but they are working hard to re-activate them so that they can continue these virtual suicides. I'm not sure if this trend is quickly dying or slowly coming to life, but I really hope that this is a fad that will quickly disappear. If you truly want to stop using social networking sites, then de-activate your accounts and try practicing a little bit of self-control.
I am definitely anti suicide, even if it is just online.
For information on how to create, not kill, your own FaceBook or Twitter business page, check out Hudson Horizons.
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