The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem; yet, although we already call ourselves “trivia crack addicts,” our sporadic and unanticipated obsession will not stop.
With Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and other beloved social media apps already consuming our generation’s lives, the new insanely addictive app called Trivia Crack has officially swept teens (and teachers — cough cough, Mr. Abe) across the nation, destroying free time and friendships.
So as of now, we three are not on the best terms with each other.
Trivia Crack is a game in which players answer user-created questions from six categories — geography, science, history, sports, art and entertainment. After every three correctly answered questions, players have a chance to win a “character” piece from the six categories.
Players can also choose to challenge their opponents to steal one of their pieces at the risk of losing one of their own. The first to six pieces win. Players can compete against both friends and strangers.
Although it started out as a fun game, we three have gotten so competitive that our tight-knit friendships have started to loosen. World War 3 has sprung loose in the Journalism Room, as we hide in opposite corners, shooting glares at one another when necessary.
One time, Andrew and Sherrilyn were in the midst of a lopsided match in the Journalism Room. Andrew, seated comfortably on the couch with a 4-1 lead, was boasting of his superior ability in the game to fellow staff members, claiming that “$hermoney” was no match for him.
Yet, somehow Sherrilyn fueled an epic comeback by correctly answering 20 questions in a row (Andrew claims she cheated by Googling answers) and beat Andrew for the first time. This match was the start of a heated rivalry, one that drives Andrew and Sherrilyn to play each other at 12 a.m. when they both still have homework.
In total, Andrew and Sherrilyn have played 12 matches, with Andrew winning eight of them.
Jade and Andrew have yet to complete a game, though this is all Jade’s fault; she is currently attempting to wean herself off the time-consuming app.
In fact, due to her temporary absence (in order to reduce dependency on this knowledge-testing “crack”), she was bitterly removed from the newspaper staff’s Facebook chat regarding the app, notably titled “Falcon Trivia Crack,” with a sort of “you can’t sit with us” vibe.
“I started the chat because I wanted to reduce spam in the Falcon Facebook group,” said senior and worthy opponent Devin Zhao, eyes never leaving his phone screen. “We started a huge thread when [senior] Jane Park posted [in the Falcon Facebook group] offering someone to write the story that Jade, Andrew and Sherrilyn unrightfully stole from me. I should be writing this story — not being interviewed for it.”
With 18 members, the chat gets an average of 400 messages a day from various staff members begging for someone to send them a life; though most messages are comprised of something along the lines of “IT’S YOUR TURN BUT I’M GONNA BEAT YOU HAH.”
Aside from the devoted and dedicated players, the “casual” Falcon Trivia Crack members find our frequent messages to be annoying, and often try to leave the group to evade the spam, but are only immediately added back by us.
“There’s no escape,” senior Lauren Louie said. “I try to leave subtly, but I’m dragged back in. It’s a black hole. I’m so scared.”
We have sadly and sheepishly yet unintentionally sprung this addiction onto others. After watching Jade scream in frustration for incorrectly answering numerous questions in a row during break, senior Amy Lin found herself downloading the app out of curiosity — only to realize this would be the worst decision in her life.
“I’ve never loved and hated Jade so much at the same time,” Lin said. “She is my best friend and worst enemy. But all that matter is that I beat her. In the game, of course.”
Yet, we are sucked into this black hole of trivial competition and are pushing each other off the ladder towards freedom. But fret not; I, Jade, will conquer all. Sherrilyn and Andrew are asleep as I finish this story, therefore I can finish with my own personal note: Watch out you two, because you’ll be eating my six pieces’ dust soon enough.
