Facebook dominated media headlines last year but despite the hype, a growing number of students around the world are refusing to create accounts amid concerns that the social networking phenomenon has come at the expense of users' privacy. Adding more fuel to the fire, website creator Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed that Facebook will be releasing users’ details to advertisers that want to target specific genders and age groups.

But an act of rebellion, which finds its roots in a desire for traditional means of communication, has led to a further boycott of Facebook among students at British universities. With student event promoters turning their hands to online marketing and disregarding traditional mediums such as posters and flyers, non-Facebook users are expressing their concerns at being left out.

Now known as "Facebook refusenicks", those not joining the online network community have been finding themselves out of the loop when it comes to events and other student socials, simply because they don’t have access to the information. Traditional student club heads continue to use established forms of communication media like flyers, but these have been given the cold shoulder by student advertisers wishing to cut costs.

“I felt like a complete stranger after my fresher’s week,” says Natasha McEwen, 18, studying marketing at Brunel University. “I had to find out from other students what nights were being held, and still do.” Jamie Curtis, a second year English student at York, also has the same problem. He said: “What happened to the good old posters and flyers? Now it’s just Facebook this, Facebook that. I’m sick of it, which is why I refuse to create a profile.”

Originally a social networking website for US high schools and university students, Facebook opened its doors to the public in 2006 and now has over 50 million users. According to alexa.com, which tracks web traffic, 8.1 per cent of Facebook users are from the UK and it is the seventh most trafficked website in the world.

And it’s not just current students that are turning the other cheek. The decision to go public has sparked anger among many of Facebook’s graduate users who originally joined the website for its privacy based structure, small student community and to keep contact with fellow graduates. Now the social networking phenomenon is also broadcasting profiles on the popular search engine Google.com – adding more fuel to the anti-Facebook fire.

But university club and events promoters are becoming increasingly dependent on reaching their target audience through electronic invitations via social networking websites - with Facebook being the popular choice of such sites, according to Sumaer Amar, an events organiser, who runs Sumaer & Co, a company that provides students in the North of England with club, R&B and costume themed nights,

“Promoters generally use Facebook to promote their nights because it’s fast, easy and free,” explains Sumaer, who is also studying for a business degree at Stephenson College, Durham University. “With the RSVP function [on Facebook] they also let us [promoters] know what kind of a turnout to expect.”

Amar is also able to locate students at specific universities, add details of the event along with pictures, videos and contact details, should anyone have an enquiry. Users can reserve a ticket and also leave comments. The application also sends the user a reminder on the day of the event.

One group, “IBIZA NYE LASH @ LARRY’S – LINKIN PARK DJ-ING!!!,” has already got 130 confirmed guests. 1,958 people are on the ‘not attending’ list and a further 217 people are unsure. “What do we do with tickets for this?” writes one confirmed partygoer. “In Cape Town... Sorry I can’t make it,” writes another, amid dozens of party snaps and comments from other attending/non-attending users.

But it’s not only the parties that Facebook refusenicks are missing out on.

It’s the special offers too. In another events group, “FOR3IGN V CIRCUS NYE!” revellers can put themselves on the guest list by confirming their attendance or by messaging DJ drag queen, Jodie Harsh, directly.

Another group, “Newcastle & Northumbria Uni – Student DRINK Delivery Service,” offers students a selection of discounted drinks, just for being Facebook users. All students need to do is to join the group and mention ‘Facebook = 10%’ in the subject line of the email order form, and they get a 10 per cent discount off their entire delivery.

It's not just companies targeting students that are getting in on the game. So confident are Blackberry that the social networking website is here to stay, their latest model, the Pearl 8120, comes complete with a Facebook application where its owner can access their profile via the handset.

“I think people who aren’t on Facebook are missing out,” says Berivan Mustafa, 19, studying law at the University of Warwick. “I joined Facebook because it is a free way to communicate with friends and family.”

So what of the Facebook refusenicks?

Bam Adeshina, another student promoter, believes that word-of-mouth is a promoter’s most powerful advertising tool, and that non-Facebookers will eventually hear of any major events by friends on campus or in lectures. “A promoter who relies solely on Facebook shouldn’t expect a good turnout,” says Adeshina. I wouldn’t say that these people get left out. The phrase, ‘it’s a small world,’ really does apply to Facebook. Students who aren’t keen to join an online community will eventually hear about the event from a friend.”

Natasha McEwen doesn’t agree. She said: “What if my friends don’t like the event but I do? Who will tell me then? I don’t believe in creating an account just to fit in. I deleted mine before I started university. I only had it for two days and already, I was Face-bored!”

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