Jesse Tiffen
If you are unfamiliar with the website Buzzfeed, you probably already avoid all things Internet and should consider yourself lucky. What began as a simple news site with a clever name and a tendency to utilize useless lists has burst into a larger and more popular site with a clever name, a tendency for useless lists and slightly longer articles that discuss pop culture “news.” Seeing a Buzzfeed article is undoubtedly unavoidable if you use any social media and networking site.
At its best, Buzzfeed uses topic statements from the news without accompanying important information and, at worst, offers a plethora of vapid tabloid news completely void of mental stimuli. Buzzfeed is essentially journalistic junk food. The website is something that is certainly fine in moderation, but ultimately is abused by people who spend hours staring at “107 GIFs of Disney Princesses” and “Reasons to Remember You Were a Child of the 90s.”
If anything, Buzzfeed capitalizes on all the worst traits of our consumerist culture. We often value quantity far more than quality. The culture of Buzzfeed (if you can really call it that) contributes nothing of its own. This stems from the fact that the entire site is based on randomly numbered lists that hold no true value or weight. Rather than trying to encourage individuals to think about real issues, the website sees the financial success behind such a superficial model and tells you the “17 Reasons Shakira Should Be President.” Buzzfeed doesn’t even see any real value in its own loyal readers. It sees and acknowledges the vapid taste of its readers’ focuses, emphasizes that trait and then broadcasts it loud and clear back at its audience.
But why should we even care or pay attention to such an arbitrary sensation? There are many different reasons, all of which are dependent upon the reader, the topic, the article, etc. But next time you find yourself dilly-dallying on Buzzfeed, keep these things in mind: Buzzfeed requires no effort. It doesn’t challenge your belief system or the state of the world – nothing really outside some arbitrary list about pop culture or “27 Signs You Were Raised by Asian Immigrant Parents.” It doesn’t ask you to formulate your own opinion on the world or encourage you to make decisions for yourself. Buzzfeed really only encourages you to have a surface level familiarity of vapid pop culture topics and an attraction to moving pictures. It can certainly function as a good waste of time, a good break from your I.S. or even a distraction when a real calamity in your life strikes. Yet similarly in a hyperbolic sense the same way that an addict might justify their addiction as necessary to numb themselves to forget the tragedies of their life, occupying your time and consuming such arbitrary and meaningless journalism makes you numb to the world around you. Distractions can only go so far and help so much.
I really don’t intend for anyone to feel condemned, judged or demeaned in any way. I only ask that you please just take a moment to acknowledge your own intellect and think before you log onto Buzzfeed to look at “28 Cats Having A Way Worse Day Than You.” I urge you to step away from the useless flashy GIFs and short dull sentences and discover the actual fraud, exploitation and theft that impact your life every day.