Listicles: now popular on the internet everywhere. From "Top 10 Things People Do in the Summer" or "The Top 5 Sexiest Pictures of Adam Levine," listicles are everywhere. Let's be honest for a second; everyone enjoys listicles so much because they're a fast and easy read; (and because everyone seems to have a short attention span, at times, myself included). Just the other day my friend told me that she will only read the bold writing (usually the title for each bullet) and skip the explanation completely. Considering most of the world is always in a rush, listicles are perfect.
1. They're a fast read.
I don't want to spend my 30-minute break at work reading this long article about why pumpkin spice latte's are tasty or the history behind them; but since I've been counting down the days till the fall season when I can buy one daily, a quick read about the top three best places to buy one would be lovely.
2. They're actually pretty informative.
I'd like to thank my fellow Odyssey writers for their constant "Top... Restaurants on Long Island." Without you, my boyfriend and I would have probably never picked a place to eat dinner and I'd probably have starved to death.
3. They're usually unique.
If I wanted a long read of straight facts, I'd pick up a textbook. Listicles are great because people can share their thoughts and opinions. That's why I love listicles so much -- I really enjoy reading all people's ideas and thoughts on one subject.
4. They're usually the most fun to read.
If I need a fast, fun, but creative idea for a gift, I'm heading to Pinterest. The quick step by step and bullet points are perfect for last minute -- but need to be cute -- gifts. If I'm in a rush, I don't have time to read an article about the art of ribbon curling.
5. Little words, lots of pictures.
Back to the childhood days where books had more pictures then words. Adulting sucks -- too many words not enough pictures. Listicles are quite the opposite -- lots of pictures, very few words.
6. "I don't have time."
No one ever has time to do anything anymore; everyone is always busy. I write a long article, my family says, "Oh, yeah, I read some of it." I write a listicle -- "Nice article, I liked bullet point number two".
7. They're more organized.
I think of listicles like note taking. No one is going to be able to understand a bunch of jumbled words with 400 ideas in one large paragraph. But bullet points with the most important information -- I can understand that crap -- no problem.
8. They're easy to write.
Deadlines are a thing, so during a busy week when life seems to be getting in the way and you (as a writer) can't seem to find a window of time to write an article, listicles are the go to. (And we have all been there).
9. Never run out of ideas.
I'm sure some of us could go on forever about why bunnies are so cute, or why your dog is your best friend.
10. Attention spans.
We all have our moments where focusing on something for an extended period of time is just a no. With listicles, you don't really need a large amount of time to focus on them. Which means you can multitask while reading it and never loose your spot, and still understand (to an extent) what you just read.
11. They make their point-fast.
Short. Sweet. To the point.
