*By Rachel Nussbaum*

Applications. Nope, I don’t mean college or job applications. This type’s more important.

Sure, Farmville has a more videogame-like format than applications of the past. But in this day and age when there are countless websites devoted to violence and conflict, it’s pretty unlikely that so many Facebook users would side with what is basically an online Sim City: Hoe Edition over, say, the not-so-much discipline oriented Vampire Wars.

Then again, most application trends are unlikely. In the early days of Facebook (for this junior, back in the year 2007. In other words, the Stone Age,) the popular applications were pretty much limited to Compare People, which lets you see how your personality and looks rank against your classmates (because obviously everyone wants to see that,) and Bumper Stickers. And those hilarious and witty little pictures need no explanation.

Other apps came off as incessantly annoying, requiring at least five friends to use it effectively. And no one wants to be the creep asking classmates to grow a virtual Chia garden with them.

But then, standard Facebook features started to overshadow the flawed applications. The “25 Things” notes’ uprising couldn’t be forgotten, just as the once ubiquitous “Tag Your Friends” pictures must be noted (and it’s many cartoon variations. Shudder.) But really, everyone loves finding out that they are “The One Who Always Writes Their Name in English Class Books with That Funny Slant,” right?

Sorry, back to my point. Slightly more recently, the development of easy to use videos stole the spotlight, pushing out applications in popularity and thriving on the barometric News Feed.

Yet as the weather warmed and the thermometer rose, rather than flock to the rays, the majority of Facebook users flocked…to their flocks. Sheep flocks. A prestigious few had cows.

The News Feed was taken over by Farmville rank promotions and “So-and-so found a lost black sheep!” There’s even a separate feed dedicated to it now (try extending the News Feed list,) and when Facebook acknowledges something, you know it’s big. Just look at the sad, sorry affair of the “Petition Against the ‘New Facebook’” group.

But as I thoughtfully considered my friends’ News Feed posts/procrastinated on my AP World homework, I realized something. It’s happening again. Except now, instead of seeing the many honors bequeathed to prodigal Facebook farmers, I’m being tagged (not literally, obviously. Here, Urban Dictionary can explain it better than I can,) in “All My Friends” photos, by people I’ve never spoken to. But hey, I guess it’s better than gardening with them.