Thanks to 21st-century technology, we have the ability to communicate in ways we never did before. We can post pictures of our every adventure (even if it is just a trip to Starbucks), get breaking news from social media and online sources, and post every thought that pops into our head.
As I was scrolling through my news feed, I noticed a “friend” had posted a political rant over the election results. At the end of her post, she mentioned that her political rants were only temporary. Soon our news feeds would be filled with “think pieces” like listicles and open letters “courtesy of Odyssey.” Since I am an Editor-in-Chief (EIC) for the Eastern University Odyssey Community, you can imagine I was quite upset by this.
I am not new to this stereotype about “fluff” articles that flood our news feeds daily, but I challenge you to think a little deeper. Each of those Creators are hardworking, creative people who are trying to tell stories to entertain, inform, and inspire. Odyssey is a place where millennials can use their voices to share the stories traditional media outlets are not covering. With this platform, Creators can reach a large (hundreds, thousands, even millions) audience who connect with what they are writing and share with their friends and family, so the circle continues. As a result, these stories are meant to make an impact in a variety of ways.
Listicles and open letters are popular content for Odyssey, but they have been wrongfully labeled as "fluff." Those listicles were meant to entertain and bring a moment of joy to those who are struggling and need cheering up. Those open letters were written in the hopes that other people can relate and benefit from their feelings being put into words that the reader could not phrase themselves. Listicles and open letters may not be hard-hitting news, but that doesn’t mean they do not add value to our society or that people didn’t work hard on those pieces.
In addition to the “fluff,” Odyssey does cover real stories. My community alone has covered pediatric cancer awareness, a school district's fight for contracts, environment and animal welfare and the aftermath of a false alarm school shooting. As a result, I have seen and heard of communities connecting over these stories (through social media and in real life). My Odyssey community is one example of the impact Odyssey has made in our social media world.
Next time you are scrolling through your feed and find an Odyssey article, stop and take a moment to read it. You just might be surprised.
