Congratulations, by reading this article you are part of the generation of casual readers! This is not to say you only do light reading. This is just to say that you, like many, read the random articles that appear on the feeds of social media written by the casual writer.
For the sake of simplicity, let's say the casual writer is a novice writer who inquires their opinions to a general audience. The casual writer writes in the context of pop culture. Their writing may not be heavily supported by experts or large studies, but rather infused with their own opinions. A casual writer is fit for the casual reader who whips out their phone and wants to delve into someone's thoughts for no more than a few minutes.
A growing format of casual writing is the "listicle." Trading paragraphs for numbers, a writer's thesis transforms into a list. The listicle is easy to navigate and ideas are easy to understand. The topic of choice is often narrow, light-hearted, humorous, and aided with visuals such as memes or GIFS. An example of this is the Buzzfeed listicle, "13 Ways the World Works." The article has witty captions and visuals to aid the reader. However, in no way does it come close to explaining the complexities of how the world actually works.
The idea of a listicle is one that is still new. Is it valid writing? Other than providing some entertainment, is the listicle the wannabe article that allows the many casual writers of my generation to call themselves writers?
Of course, the casual writer is no Charles Dickenson or Steven Hawking. Nor is the casual writer integrating the literary competence of Shakespeare in their work. Yet, the listicle is a valid, respectable work. It contains the elements of a paper: an introduction, main points, and a conclusion. Furthermore, the writer draws upon cultural references and visual literacy to effectively communicate their message. Finally, a listicle's unconventional structure appeals to the many of us who find small bursts of time in our overscheduled lives to read.
This is not to say people should stop reading well written pieces of writing. Listicles are valid articles but should not be regarded as a high form of writing. It seems today there is a growing trend for a new generation of writers to vocalize their opinions. Writing like any art modernizes with society to stay alive. That said, I congratulate you once again… the casual writer who writes the listicle and the casual reader - you - who reads it are all contributing to our brave new world.
