Buy Or Don’t Buy

One of the main problems with Facebook’s actual usefulness as a promotional tool is that most of its applications are really annoying. Yes, I thought it was adorable when my study abroad friend sent me virtual smažený sýr through the Czech Food app, but now it’s merely irritating when every other day I’m notified that I’ve “unlocked new items.”

However, there is a bright spot among the “Pirates vs. Ninjas” and “Honesty Boxes” of the social networking world. And that, of course, is Food Friendzy.

To fully appreciate Food Friendzy you must first understand its partner site, CampusFood.com. CampusFood is worthy of a Buy unto itself, but I’ll just explain it briefly here: tell the website what university you attend or live near, and it will list almost every nearby restaurant willing to deliver to your location, and allow you to place your order online. It’s awesome, and perfect for lazy people, which let’s face it, most college students are. You don’t even have to pick up the phone!

Food Friendzy makes CampusFood even more appealing because it’s a game that gives you money for free! If you sign up for the application on Facebook, you get three plays per day. The game is insultingly simple - all you do is click on little squares and pray you get three matching ones, kind of like a lottery card. You can win “CampusFood Cash,” which is money that can be used at pretty much any vendor, or a coupon for a specific vendor. You lose when you click on a square that says, brilliantly, “You Lose.” (The accompanying “You Lose” voice sends a little chill down my spine every time.)

Of course, Food Friendzy is just a ploy to make you buy Chinese food or pizza when you don’t really want it. (”I just won 50¢ on FoodFriendzy! I can’t pass up this opportunity to get General Tso’s tax free!“) But I like it. I eat my fair share of meals from the local restaurants around here, so there’s nothing wrong with some monetary incentive, no matter how small it may be. And it also drives users to support local businesses, which is important given the recent rebirth of McDonald’s and friends in the economic downturn.