The girl next to me is the fastest clicker in the world. She's checking "recently updated" Facebook profiles with the speed of Derrick Williams. The guy to my left is browsing a Webshots photo album. And heck, I'll admit it ... I'm logged into AOL Instant Messenger.

Where am I? I bet you've already guessed it -- a Penn State computer lab.

Here we sit. Some of us are killing time between classes. Some of us need to print lecture slides or readings. Some of us are surrounded with empty cans of Red Bull, furiously typing, trying to finish up the works cited page of that monstrous research paper.

And yet, there are others still -- waiting at the door, just wanting to use a computer.

Some computer labs even have a sign that tells us not to play games when it's busy. Unfortunately, bloggers and compulsive away message checkers probably don't consider their hobbies "games."

What if one of those people waiting at the door has a scholarly task to complete -- a thesis to write or online research to do? What if one them ran into an empty ink cartridge this morning and have exactly five minutes to pull a Microsoft Word document out of their e-mail, print it out and sprint to class?

Still think it's worth knowing that pSuCuTiE454 is still "*~SLEEPING!! Nighty night~*"? Or that your sixth-grade boyfriend sent you a friend request on Facebook?

While this misuse of computer labs hurts everybody socially and academically, it also says important things about our generation.

The evidence is everywhere. Look at Facebook.com membership. Of this enormously popular college stalking site, Penn State is the school with the most accounts -- 52,016 students are registered users.

Look at your buddy list. Look at all those little yellow away messages -- every single one of them represents somebody who doesn't need to be online, but is.

Try to remember how many disagreements have been resolved by simply "Googling" it.

The Internet grew up right along with our generation; we're BFF 4-ever. The question is, then -- is it a healthy relationship?

We've all been trapped on campus with too much time to kill between classes or before a meeting, especially on a large campus filled with so many unfamiliar faces, it can be kind of isolating to wander AIMlessly, trying to find a comfortable place where we can do homework or read The Daily Collegian.

How does our generation respond to this isolation? Find a computer lab. Log into AIM. Instant connection. Instant community.

Whether you talk to people or just check away messages, it can be a means of comfort to just be signed on.

Is the productivity of our generation being sucked away into uploading pictures on Webshots and constantly updating Penn State's football record in our AIM profiles? Think how much better we could all do in school if we'd learn to give it a rest.

On top of that, you've got to wonder if we're just copping out of real communication. Without AIM, instead of venturing to a computer lab, would we make more effort to meet up with friends or -- gasp -- make new friends?

My parents never miss an opportunity to remind me that they didn't have computers or televisions in their bedrooms in college. When I first heard that, I responded incredulously, "What did you do?"

Apparently, in the days before the World Wide Web, college students would go to a "common room" to "hang out" or, get this -- study. Real communication, real human contact, really studying ... all sounds very productive.

This Internet addiction doesn't begin or end with computer labs. Walking past the towers in East Halls shows nearly every room glowing some shade of blue -- whether it is television or computer light.

As it gets colder, it'll be even easier for people to stay inside and online.

Fight the urge. Challenge yourself to leave lab computers open during busy hours so that Susie Schreyer Student can work on her thesis. Challenge yourself to spend as few hours on AIM.

Next time, instead of friend-ing somebody on Facebook, try making a new friend in actual life. How do you do that? Well, isn't it obvious? Give somebody your place in the computer lab. Walk outside, breathe crisp November air and find something to do.