In case you hadn’t heard, Facebook is now on your cell phone.

The hugely popular networking website recently launched a new feature called Facebook Mobile, which enables users to send messages, look up other users’ profiles and even write on their friends’ “walls” (for the uninitiated, a kind of personalized message board) via cell phones.

This synthesis of internet and cell phone technology adds a whole new dimension to the Facebook experience. Now students can not only waste time when they’re at their computers, but also when they’re in class, on the T, in the dining hall, at work and wherever else cell phone use is possible. But once the novelty wears off, we should give some thought to whether this is truly a positive development for today’s college student.

Our generation has become dependent on the cell phone for interacting with the world. The obvious reason is that we want to be able to talk to our friends and family anytime, anywhere. But the underlying cause is that we’ve come to expect the instant gratification and tremendous convenience that cell phones and other modern technologies provide.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay connected, and no one is saying that mobile technologies are going to have a disastrous effect on society. But it’s worth considering whether the benefits of 24/7 connectivity outweigh the drawbacks of constant dependence on technology. Just because something can be mobile doesn’t mean that it should be mobile.

Facebook isn’t to blame for this problem. This is actually a very clever marketing ploy on the part of Facebook developers, who understood that plenty of students would be willing to take advantage of Facebook Mobile.

In some respects, our generation is to blame, though we are the ones who have grown up with these conveniences as a fact of life. Generation Y will eventually have to realize when it’s time to log off and venture into the non-virtual world.