New-age farmers

With fewer jobs being generated these days, a new profession is catching up — virtual farming. Most students and professionals are busy farming these days. In fact, I too am thinking of taking up farming seriously and enjoying the pleasures of growing fruits and vegetables.
The best part is that I won’t need any land for this, thanks to Zynga, which has developed FarmVille. All I would need is a computer with the required application and access to social networking website Facebook.
In fact, my friend and his wife have already become full-time farmers and are enjoying every minute of it. The game is helping them get over the stress of daily life. Every time I visit them, I find them discussing their next harvest or buying new cattle to get maximum points, or XP, as it is called. The number of virtual farmers has been growing in urban areas. Till October, Facebook had recorded more than 5.61 crore active players of the game. The game, which is a break from all the shooting, killing and racing, gives you the option of owning a basic farm with up to 144 plots. The gamer needs virtual coins to progress, for he would need them to buy articles from okra to brinjal, from fertiliser to all kinds of fruits and cattle. He has to take care of the crop at every step. If you neglect your farm, you lose points.
FarmVille has brought in cheer in our mundane existence. Nothing is better proof of this than its rising popularity. What’s more, a pleasant musical score accompanies as you go about growing the crop and decorating your farm, making the farm a happy destination. You can even hear the sounds of your cattle and pets while farming.
For our generation, which has only heard of how farming is done, it’s like rediscovering the pleasures of it by creating our own fun farm. But, there’s a downside — it is fast becoming a full-time occupation, that too during work hours!