Social Media Blues

Just when Harvard students were feeling frustrated with social media because yet another format change to Facebook left them too confused to navigate their own newsfeeds, Color Labs Inc. launched a new Facebook application—meant to be used on smartphones—called Blue.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, the updates and pictures you view on Blue change as your location changes. As you walk around, your pictures and updates become public to other Blue users within 100 feet, creating an alternate public space on line. Taking creepy to the next level, the application can also guess who your friends are based on who you interact with (or stalk) the most.

To see what the hype is all about, Flyby decided to download and test out the latest in stalker technology. Walking around the square and on campus, Flyby quickly discovered why Color's marketing plan involved reaching out to student groups to utilize the application. Without other Blue users, there is nothing to see.

After over an hour of wandering the yard, the square, and the quad, with no activity occurring on Flyby's Blue newsfeed, we finally asked a student passing by if they would be willing to download Blue and test it out with us. Unfortunately, he was just confused.

"Blue, what's that? I have never heard of it, said Kevin P. Johnson '13.

Although, in theory, Blue may have the potential to be a fun, interactive tool which can bring students' stalking to a new level, it seems that it currently does not have enough users to make the download and its learning curve worth the time.