“Today, as I sat on the table in my gynecologist’s office for my yearly checkup, I realized that was the most action I got in the past year. FML.”
“Today, I was having sex with my boyfriend. When he was about to orgasm, he screamed “Yes Brittany!” at the top of his lungs. My name’s not Brittany. That’s his sister. FML”
“Today, my phone rang for the first time in four days. It was my mom. She dialed the wrong number. FML“
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, welcome to the newest internet obsession: fmylife.com. The idea of the site is simple. Every entry must begin with “Today…” and end with “FML”, an acronym for the oft-uttered phrase “fuck my life.” In the past week or so, traffic to the Web site has exploded in popularity on this campus. I’ve seen it as Facebook statuses (including my own), GChat away messages, on laptops in class and being read aloud in dorm hallways. The highlight of my week was when, browsing fmylife.com, I found a new submission that resembled a Facebook status I had seen the day before. Fmylife.com has clearly found an audience here at Northwestern, but why is it so appealing?
In times of hardship and anguish, perpetual midterms and economic distress, it seems appropriate that we have flocked to a Web site that shows us the one thing that could comfort us: the fact that other people’s lives suck more. This isn’t an unusual or even undefined part of our nature. The infamous puppet-musical Avenue Q has a song about it. It’s called “schadenfreude,” a term defined by philosopher and sociologist Thedor Adorno as “largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another which is cognized as trivial and/or appropriate.” Essentially, it’s the part of our psyche that makes us laugh when Scarlett takes a tumble. There are have been studies conducted about the concept and articles written about the subject. And of course, simply the popularity of videos of guys getting kicked in the crotch helps reinforce the validity of the idea.
Here at Northwestern, we seem to have formed an attachment to the site with complete enthusiasm. “Our generation likes latching on to sites like that,” Medill freshman Zahra Barnes said, “sites with no purpose but to make us laugh.” Barnes found the site comforting. “It’s nice to know that someone else is going through the same thing.” Bayle Ellis, Weinberg freshman, says the site makes her feel better when she’s having a bad day, since she can “see the ridiculous things that happen to other people.”
Readers can also vote on each FML (either “I agree, your life is f***ed” or “You deserved that one”) which adds an enticing JuicyCampus-esque level of interactivity. In addition, the site provides space to comment on the complaints, whether to provide empathetic support or simply a “LOL”, making every moment a discussion topic. Charles Hwang, McCormick freshman, finds the site completely addicting. He loves that “it’s basically open to anybody, which makes it one of the most up-to-date sites with fresh content practically ensured every 24 hours.” He adds that the site “allows for user feedback, regardless of how limited it is.”
So reading the site is fun, but why do we submit our own FMLs to it? It’s the same idea as PostSecret or having a Twitter, a Tumblr or GroupHug. We feel compelled to spill our guts to the world, to bitch and moan whether anonymously or with our names attached. Perhaps it’s part of the voyage of self-discovery that is the college experience. Maybe it’s playing into our inherent narcissistic tendencies as 18-23 year-olds. Or maybe we just need to get it out there to get over it, to process it and move on.
Whether we’re reading or submitting, fmylife.com has turned into a cheap version of therapy. It’s self-medicating through laughter and empathy, and the understanding that we’re not alone in our troubles and sorrows. In fact, our lives aren’t half as bad as they could be. That awkward hookup from Friday night won’t seem as bad when you compare it to this: “Today, I kissed the girl I love for the first time. Her reaction? She vomited. FML.”