Maybe a student has a paper due in a few hours, or the physics final is tomorrow and they haven’t even touched the book yet, but no matter what the circumstance, students manage to find an excuse valid enough to check their Facebook, and a plethora of applications only add more excuses to the list.

Games such as FarmVille allow students to be entertained on the Internet for periods of time. With over 11 million daily players, Farmville has become the most popular game application on Facebook.

Zynga, a video game developer located in San Francisco, Calif., has created many of the Facebook games popular today. These include CafÃ.é World, Mafia Wars, Roller Coaster Kingdom and the most common, FarmVille. FarmVille still keeps its popularity growing and reported 63.7 million active users on Nov. 9, 2009.

The game begins with a farm containing six plots of land — four that are in the process of growing and two plots containing eggplants and strawberries that are already fully grown. A player plants seeds that later grow into crops that can be harvested for coins. The coins can then be used toward items such as trees, animals and vehicles, which can be bought in the market.

A player can also earn experience points (XP) by purchasing these items and completing tasks like harvesting, plowing and planting. If a crop is not harvested after a certain period of time, it will wilt and the plot must be plowed again without any coins gained. With the constant upkeep that is required, it’s no wonder the game is played so often.

Dr. Palmer Agnew, a computer science professor at Binghamton University, said that he sees why FarmVille has become so successful among college students.

“Students have limited time and need a fast fix of competition among friends,” Agnew said.

When asked the motives of a college student to begin playing FarmVille, Agnew explained, “It could be used as a stress reliever. It’s painless and easy to play.”

He also said it’s likely that students use Facebook games as an excuse to procrastinate and visit the site more often.

Matt Sutter, a junior marketing major, presents his explanation for joining FarmVille.

“My friend signed me up because I thought it was stupid, and then I got hooked. It’s addicting, like crack,” Sutter admitted.

Farmville’s increasing popularity could also come from its emphasis on social networking.

People can invite their Facebook friends to join FarmVille so they can become neighbors. There are many advantages to this, because with at least eight neighbors, players can expand their farm and gain more land. They can also give their neighbors gifts, such as animals, trees and decorations. Players may also help their neighbors by cleaning up leaves and weeds and chasing away pests, such as raccoons and foxes, for 20 points and 5 XP.

Another reason could be that Facebook, along with the Internet in general, is extremely accessible. Whether a person’s original intentions were to check e-mail or do some research, it’s only a matter of time until Facebook makes its way into the address bar.

Nearly anything can be put aside while one checks Facebook for “just one minute.” FarmVile has even invaded the Glenn G. Bartle Library, where students have used the PODS to turn study time into play time.

It’s apparent that FarmVille has become a means of distraction from school work for many people, something that Agnew warned students against.

“You do have to watch the clock or you can become caught up in easy entertainment,” Agnew said. “Playing a game for a little can be a nice stress-relieving diversion, but playing a lot can impact other activities.”

Facebook has impressive marketing strategies, and the wheels of the minds behind Facebook are constantly turning. Every so often, a new game will be created to keep its users from getting bored.

Zynga recently created FishVille, which gained an astonishing 875,000 users within two days of its existence.

This method is connected with marketing techniques to keep users constantly checking in with their profiles. This frequently practiced habit may cause what some people describe as an addiction. Agnew expressed a possible explanation of how this occurs.

“The people I know who play this game seem to go through a period of reporting on status continually, and then they are off to something else,” Agnew said. “This is a message to Facebook that it continually has to be coming up with activities to keep its membership active. For periods of time, I cannot avoid the various announcements from friends’ accomplishments in the game.”