I was always taught that “hate” is a strong word, and scolded for using it haphazardly. That being said, I really hate listicles.
Though you may not have heard the word, your Internet and social media life has definitely been inundated with them. “Listicle” is a journalistic term for a short-form article that uses a list for its structure.
Buzzfeed has capitalized on the listicle with great success, throwing list after list up on its website everyday, luring millions of people in with titles like “29 Most Canadian Things to Ever Canada in Canada” and “16 Reasons Why Baby Aardvarks Are The Most Conflicting Animals Ever.”
Beyond being about insane things, listicles irk me simply because, from a writing standpoint, they’re incredibly lazy. Most of them don’t even use full sentences. It’s the easiest thing in the world to write a list of short thoughts accompanied by massive photos or gifs to illustrate your point. Writing an actual, developed article? With a beginning, middle, and end, with research and sourced quotes? Well, that’s a lot harder.
One list was titled “31 coffee stains that almost look like West Virginia,” and man, did it deliver.
According to a New Yorker article, the listicle format may do something to alleviate the “paradox of choice,” which is a fancy term for the bad feels you get whenever it takes you over an hour to decide where to get takeout. The human brain likes to do as little work as possible to process information, so we feel good when we make quick decisions, no matter how high (or low) their importance.
Clicking on a list is a quick decision. On a busy Twitter stream of links being shared, listicles are easy to pick and easy to unpack; we know exactly what they’re going to give us, and exactly how long it will take.
I’ve never been surprised by the contents of a list. It told me beforehand that I was going to get “31 Coffee Stains That Almost Look Like West Virginia,” and man, did it deliver. The sense of accomplishment we get from finishing the listicle adds to the warm fuzzy feelings we have towards them, and makes us more likely to click on a list again. And so the cycle goes.
If people are going to keep clicking on listicles, why stop making them?
The New Yorker concludes, “In the current media environment, a list is perfectly designed for our brain. We are drawn to it intuitively, we process it more efficiently, and we retain it with little effort.”
Too bad list-lovers won’t have read the article. I must say, though, you have to check out “17 Guys Who Look Nothing Like Jason Statham.” That shit is gold.
Disclaimer: All listicle titles used in this article are real.
