By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer

I have a love-hate relationship with multi-factor authentication (MFA). OK, mostly hate. It’s a pain in the ass, but at the same time, it fends off the hackers . . . or so they tell us. Psst, maybe it’s just a scheme. Is anyone actually roaming around to take some random student’s university info anyway? What really gets on my nerves is how often I have to get an MFA code when it times out after what seems like a mere 0.2 seconds. Looking at you, SFU email and Canvas. 

Relying on some ridiculous code that annoyingly flashes like a so-called important warning sign is the worst. It changes in the blink of an eye, and I need it every time I log in to the damn university computing system. As a busy student, I don’t have time for this. Don’t even get me started on the fact that every time I scramble to input my MFA code before the sign-in system closes out, I have to smash those keys like no tomorrow to get the code in before it disappears into the void forever. As if the time limit isn’t stressful enough, just wait until you type the code in wrong and have to start the whole rigmarole over again. Ugh.

The only silver lining is that, somehow, when I begrudgingly mosey on over to my MFA app — which I don’t even care to recall the name of — I suddenly find myself immersed in the abyss of a social media fantasy. As I aimlessly doom scroll across various media platforms, group chats, texts, and even emails (how enthralling!), I forget what I’ve even grabbed my phone for in the first place. It’s not like I mean to get hooked by my socials and notifications. It just happens. I have no control over the fact that this code has automatically transported me from some random MFA app to the depths of a social media rabbit hole. 

I’m tapping into social media, and, oh . . . wait, I have to input an MFA code even though I’m already logged in. What kind of sorcery is this? Before I know it, “How to Use MFA” videos pop up on my search and discovery pages across Facebook and Instagram. How entertaining. Back to the home pages I go, and bam! MFA ads for some undisclosed MFA app . . . not sketchy at all. 

Don’t even talk to me about TikTok. It’s scarred me too much because it reminds me of the ticking of the codes as they count down and disappear before I get the chance to see what they could’ve been . . . all for some useless login. How tragic.

I just came for the damn code, and now sirens are going off in my head as warning signals whoop for me to check every notification at once. All I wanted was to unlock my student accounts so I could frantically search for an assignment that was never posted in the first place, and pretend to read the What’s On emails before deleting them. Is that so much to ask? I swear I’m not distracted; I’ve just been taken to every social media page against my will . . . even MySpace, and I don’t have an account. What a trip. Multi-factor authentication? More like multi-faceted annoyance.