The new trend that is sweeping people's social media feed are the popular lists. Most articles shared now, whether it be from Buzzfeed or The Odyssey, are in the format of an easy-to-read, bulleted list. These lists usually contain content that relates to current events and how young adults may feel about certain issues, in a lighthearted and amusing way. So what really attracts us to these list-like articles, rather than an article with more content?
1. It doesn't look like more than two paragraphs, so no time is wasted and no serious brain power is used.
You've already spent hundreds of dollars on books for school that you have to read, so why spend extra time reading something that's more than 130 characters?
2. It really appeals to everything you're feeling right at that very moment.
Of course you need to read all the lessons you'll learn while being in your twenties, and why your sisters are your bridesmaids. It's only essential to get through the day.
3. Because there are GIFs included. This gif is of Jess from New Girl, and Jess and you are the same person, so everything is right in the world.
No one understands you and your quirkiness better than Jessica Day, so as soon as you see a GIF of her in an article you're reading, you automatically know that you picked the right one to read.
4. You need something quick and interesting to do before you head into class.
You've already checked Instagram twice, scrolled through your whole feed on Twitter, refreshed your page enough to know you don't have any notifications on Facebook, and have lost every round on Trivia Crack, but you still need something to keep you from falling asleep while waiting to go into class. So an article that's all about the reasons why you're awesome is the perfect thing to keep you busy.
5. Bulleted lists are straight to the point with no analyzing required.
Let's face it. We spend half of the day analyzing just about everything. Whether it be a text that we received, why someone is best friends with a certain person on Snapchat, or even why our favorite character was killed off of Grey's Anatomy. We don't have time to spend on analyzing something else!
With all joking aside, I think it's important to see how our generation reacts to having to read something that seems lengthy or heavy in content. We favor these lists, because they're short, funny, and get straight to the point. Then we disregard work that has multiple paragraphs, but could contain a really interesting and meaningful message that might pertain to your life, just like that list you shared on Facebook. The quote "Don't judge a book by it's cover" should also apply to other pieces of written work by how much it contains as well. You never know what you might learn if you take more than three minutes to read something.
