I'm sure if you're like me you're Facebook feed is full of Odyssey articles. This sometimes can be a good thing and sometimes can be bad. Many authors produce great content weekly, others produce cliché and overrated contented. Each and every writer for the Odyssey has stories to tell and incredible messages to share, so why are we as writers selling ourselves short with weekly articles that we've all seen hundreds of times?
So here's 10 articles we're all tired of seeing:
1. Literally anything about Greek life
Whether you're a part of Greek life or not, agree with it or absolutely hate it, PLEASE stop writing about Greek life. I'm not sure there's anymore original thoughts about Greek life because so many perspectives have been shared on the Odyssey already. This is not me saying that I hate Greek life or anything like that, but it is me saying that I'm tired of hearing about it.
2. Open letters
When I first started writing for the Odyssey I vowed to never ever ever write an open letter. Why? Because they're annoying for starters, but also because they're overdone and cliché. I've never read an open letter and thought, "Wow, this is exactly how I feel, I need to share it right now!" because I've already told everyone what I want them to hear and if I haven't I'm going to do it in a more creative way and probably not on social media.
3. Listicles
Oh the irony, as I sit and write a listicle. Listicles are my guilty pleasure, they're pretty fun to write and super quick to get done when I'm in a rush. But, with that being said they can also be sloppy and unorganized. I do not vow to never write another listicle again, but I do vow from this day forward to always put my best effort into the ones I write and what I lack in creativity make up in funny gifs.
4. Tear-jerkers that are just written to get shares
I know some things are sad and I believe we all have the right to talk about these things and should. However, don't just write things that are sad because you know you can get shares off of it. No one likes a sympathy vote. For example here's an article I wrote about my dead dog https://www.theodysseyonline.com/still-miss-dog. In my defense, I didn't write this for the sympathy vote, I just honestly started crying one day in class because I was looking at pictures of my dog and started crying because I missed him so much. Either way, I probably won't write something like this again.
5. Anything about Disney
I may be bias on this one because I've never been a huge fan of Disney or even been to Disney World (Don't worry, I've been to Disney Land, even though it is *nothing* in comparison), but Disney tends to get real annoying, real fast. Plus, I don't think the Disney princesses really teach us ladies great lessons about life. Or maybe I'm just a little bitter because I'll never understand why Ariel wanted to be a human instead of a mermaid.
6. Anything about your freshman year of college
I survived mono, strep throat, and pneumonia my freshman year of college; if that's not life-changing then I don't know what is. With that being said we all know your freshman year of college is great and amazing and terrifying and miserable all at once, but we're all tired of hearing about it. Just make your pic collage and get over it.
7. Complaining about college debt
*Cues Oprah voice* "I have debt, you have debt, we ALL have debt!" In four years we'll all leave college with three things debt, a degree, and a job offer from McDonald's, but one day we'll hopefully get out of this hole in just enough time for our children to jump in it. Or maybe one day inflation will end and the baby boomers will quit calling us entitled... miracles do happen.
8. Fall and Pumpkin Spice
Just stop.
9. Anything about your significant other
Relationships are not my thing. It's been a while since I've been in one and I'm super happy with my non-committed self. I get it, having a boyfriend/girlfriend can be super fun and exciting and incredible, but chances are you already post enough about it on social media, we don't need to see it on your Odyssey feed either.
10. Angsty teenage titles
*Cues Oprah voice again* "I have angst, you have angst, we ALL have angst!" We get it, your life is angsty, you're a college student and have no idea what you're doing in life. But, honestly you're not supposed to know. The world is your oyster, go fish (or something like that). But, really we all have angst and it might someday end, but it's annoying to hear about it when I'm dealing with my own.
