Mi piace Facebook.
I like Facebook.
“Gli italiani vanno matti per Facebook” (The Italians are going crazy for Facebook), a friend from Rome tells me. They certainly are. Of the 600 million users (utenti) of the world’s most popular social networking site (sito web di reti sociali), almost 18 million are Italians, representing 30.57 percent of their country's population and 59.15 percent of Italians online.
Chi sono gli Italiani su Facebook? (Who are the Italians on Facebook?) As in the United States, most are young adults: 28 percent are between ages 25 and 34; 26 percent, between 18 and 25. Another 26 percent are middle-aged, between 35 and 54.
Italians vanno su Facebook (go on Facebook) to connect (connettersi) and remain in contact (rimanere in contatto) with the people of their life (le persone della loro vita). They create profiles (creano profili), post photographs and lists of personal interests (pubblicare fotografie e liste di interessi personali) on their wall (la bacheca), exchange personal and public messages (scambiare messaggi privati o pubblici), join groups of friends (unirsi a gruppi di amici) and play games (giocare). And, of course, they respond to Facebook prompts to comment (commenta), share (condividi), hide (nascondi) or change their status (stato).
They also use Facebook all’ italiana (in Italian style) A Mafia boss in Calabria with the user name “Scarface” kept in touch with his associates via Facebook—until the police tracked his Internet address and nabbed him. Italian doctors recently reported what may be the first case of Facebook-induced asthma. After his girlfriend decided to "unfriend" him (rimuovere un'amicizia), a rejected suitor began wheezing whenever he went online and saw photos of her with new male Facebook friends (amici di Facebook).
I am always happy to “friend” (aggiungere come amico) an Italian. A lovely Romana uploads fabulous footage of her great passion: il tango. An artist sends images of his bold abstract paintings (dipinti astratti. Last Christmas a fan meticulously tagged (taggare) every face in a classic Nativity painting with the name of a contemporary. Much to my amazement, I was tagged as the Madonna.
I have clicked the ”mi piace” (I like) buttons on fan pages for Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Marcello Mastroianni, Florence, our favorite restaurant in Rome and hotels in Florence and on the Tuscan coast.
LA BELLA LINGUA also has a group page. Inspired by my book on the world’s most enchanting language, it celebrates Italy's people, history, food, traditions and culture. Vorrei invitarvi a diventare amici del mio libro su Facebook! (I would like to invite you to become friends of my book on Facebook!)
Benvenuti a tutti! (Welcome to everyone!)
Words and Expressions
news feed — notizie
upload/download – caricare / scaricare
mutual friends – amici in comune
privacy settings — impostazioni sulla privacy
Click below to see the Italian trailer of The Social Network:
