If you haven't realised by now, I am one of them, which is why I write like I'm speaking from experience.

 

If you aren't one of the Night Owls, and/or you simply cannot fathom why people do this, you are not alone; for even the Night Owls themselves are baffled as to why they aren't seduced by the comforts of their bed and instead remain, sometimes stoning with eyes glazed over and sore wrists tingling from carpal tunnel syndrome, fixated to the brightly-lit screen of their computer.

 

Here, I shall attempt to explain this not-so-strange phenomenon...

 

1. They are insomniac.

These poor souls simply just can't fall asleep even if they lie down in their beds, so why not prop themselves up in a chair, and kill some time before sleepiness/sufficient boredom sets in and lulls them to sleep. In most cases, it doesn't help at all, because the things they see/do on the Internet, be it buying random stuff or playing silly shooting games or watching Youtube videos, are so exciting and keeps their hearts racing so much that they find even more difficulty to go back to sleep again.

 

2. They are addicted to the feeling of being connected.

Ever been overseas in the jungles/caves or on the high seas for a couple of days and feeling your hands itch all over and your mind running amok simply because you haven't been able to "show" yourself (aka be Online) on MSN/AIM and update your status or profile picture/poke someone on Facebook and check out which celeb got preggers on PerezHilton? Night Owls enjoy the feeling of being a part of the great big world everyone lives in. If it were possible, they wouldn't mind planting a device in their body which can feed real-time information into their systems. Being connected is great. They want to know everything FIRST. It's important....'cause it sucks to be the last one standing saying "Really, wow I didn't know!"

 

3. They are hardcore gamers.

I was there once. It's nearly the dark side of the Internet. Night Owls can spend a few days in a row playing on their favorite game. My highest record was less than an entire 24-hour day, but it was close. It doesn't matter what time it is. What matters most is getting that sacred item, killing the dreadful monster(s) and getting as quickly as possible to the next level.

 

4. They are involved in a long-distance relationship.

Say if their significant other is 12 hours apart from them, it only made perfect sense for them to stay awake at 3am in the morning so they can talk to each other in real-time and wave at each other over the webcam. Sometimes they take turns, but it is usually the Night Owl who ends up compromising...because they just don't mind -- they like staying up anyway or so they like to think.

 

5. They live their social life on the Internet.

There is Facebook for your "real-life" friends. Some people don't believe in "online" friends. To each his/her own. But Night Owls probably have their very own collection of online friends from Timbuktu (do they have Internet access there already?) to Tokyo to Tijuana, and in order to catch up with them about life in general and "hang out" together online, staying up is the only way to go. Friendship transcends offline boundaries and face-to-face interactions for these unique bunch of people.

 

6. They have screwed-up biological clocks.

At first, it is almost an adolescent affliction. Staying up past midnight is considered "cool" because one does not have to adhere to the 'children's' 10-o'clock bedtime. After that, your social life dictates that going home just when the night is still young is considered "lame". Following that, you just don't care about curfew anymore (yeah, ground me if it makes you happy, parents) and partying all through the night becomes a weekend staple. Some days, when the Night Owls aren't out partying or engaging in their past-midnight affairs, they log on to the Internet and wander about miserably, wondering why they can't sleep like the rest of the world... Their bioclocks are officially screwed.

 

Surprisingly, despite staying up so late, the Night Owl retains a relatively clear-headed mind and can remain very sharp. Typically characterised by dark circles under their eyes, Night Owls generally love more than hate the feeling of being awake in the wee hours of the morning and their condition (whichever it may be) is usually chronic.