Everyday when I log onto Facebook, I see people sharing articles like "10 ways to get the man of your dreams," "Why you aren't happy," "The happiest couples do this to survive…"
These irk me. Articles like this are polluting your brain. People read these articles thinking, oh THAT'S why I'm not happy and THAT'S why our relationship is so bad. Whereas actual news articles or long, in depth articles do not get as much attention because they're not listed out in a way that people can read quickly and get advice about their lives…a comparison between the two.
The most important think to keep in mind when writing an article is 'Who is my audience?' The reason articles like Buzzfeed put stuff on Facebook it to get likes and to have them be shared. More in-depth articles, like content seen on The Artifice, are advertised on Facebook and Twitter, but like you said, they not shared as much as they are with entertaining articles. This is probably because entertaining articles are faster to read, while more in-depth articles take 10-20 minutes to ready, depending on the subject. – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
How interesting! There's a couple of different directions I could see this topic going in. The author might want to focus on where certain types of articles are advertised, and why they're effective. It also could be discussed how, as you explained, entertaining articles cause people to have this mindset you describe, having an almost impulsive need to become happier people. What might turn someone on or off to entertaining articles, or to in-depth articles? Could in-depth articles also be just as toxic? – James Smith9 years ago
Can you reflect more on why the articles are irksome? Might there be some benefits to these lighter articles even if they are not deep or definitive? – jaa9n9 years ago
While it is easy to fall into the pit that is BuzzFeed, I do agree with how sad it is that the average media user cannot stick with a single piece of written content for more than a few sentences at a time. This is obviously a very frustrating ideal for you (among a lot of other people), so it might be hard to keep this from being a rant/stream of consciousness. I would love for this article to come to life, but be clear and descriptive about it! Why is BuzzFeed bad? What is it doing to society? Why are traditional long form articles like The-Artifice better/important! :) :) – madistyle949 years ago
I think would also help to consider the popularity of lifestyle blogs--those where the author tells of their experiences and give tips on a happier life. Their content is mainly entertainment, but also has a certain amount of depth as the author truly wants to help readers. – Fox9 years ago