Cambodia sings Facebook
Phnom Penh teenagers.
There's the woefully straightforward, "Facebook ends love." The lively and urgent, "Facebook friend! My girlfriend kicked me out!" And the subtly confounding, "Facebook waits love."
What they have in common is that they are songs about Facebook, and they're all the rage in Cambodia.
In this country of roughly 15 million, only about 260,000 people are Facebook users. But the social-networking site has nonetheless proven itself the muse of the moment, according to Global Voices.
Young Khmer artists are pondering the role Facebook plays in their love lives and, yes, putting those thoughts to song. It's a far cry from the more subversive role Facebook has played in the Middle East and North Africa ,where it's been used to organize protest movements.
In Cambodia, Facebook sings a different tune. Like this one, "Facebook disturbs my love," in which Khemarak Sereymon croons about how Facebook seems to have stolen away the affections of his girlfriend.
Cambodian blogger Khmerbird explains Sereymon's intentions in the song. "He [Sereymon] stated in the song that since there’s Facebook, his girlfriend seems not take care of him like before. He felt like he is totally abandoned. His girlfriend spent her time to connect with different people via Facebook. This of course could cause a serious effect in the relationship."
And here's a couple more, sure to tug your heartstrings.
"Start having Facebook, love exists"
And still more. Enjoy.
"Facebook friend! My girlfriend kicked me out!"