Lost in Words: Why Listicles and Catchy Headings are Ruining Reading Habits
Today I woke up to my medium stats (normally I wake up to a rising sun). And it was no surprise that a love poem that I’d published later with P.S. I Love You, had more views than a genuinely, no questions even asked, better poem Once, I, published a couple of days before, with the same publication.
It’s not new that Buzzfeed and ScoopWhoop listicles (no doubt well researched) have made their ways to the top of social networks clicks, and also the google search pages. But my problem with such articles is that they are designed to work for heavy addictive readership. Right from their first word, they target to get even the uninterested interested.
Problem with such articles, catchy worded headings and listicles are that, the lists and the words used are the outcome of predefined marketing intention to necessarily create a list towoo people to feel guilty if they do not click it to find it out that is promised.
It’s not always natural, no matter if they sell to all kinds of audience virally.
A natural reason of using lists is when there really is need to separate things out in ordered or unordered lists. Here’s a recent example from a new version of his framework that Sacha Greif is working on.
It is simply not possible for me, to conform to the temptations of making the heading of an article or to name a poem, to cater to a wildfire readership. Sometimes, at least I, have dealt with this choice: To name something that feels right by its content and heart, or to surrender to the need for gaining more chances to make it read as widely as possible. There are middle ways yes, but na ah, I don’t feel good about them.
This is one of the hidden purposes of a weekly newsletter that I’ve started lately. To bring to you the essays, articles, poems, people, generative art, visuals, that are not viral, that probably never will, but are stunning pieces of their art forms.
LOL (List of Lit), is a listicle BUT of curated literary/arty links. It has no half built curious headings that promise something. Just a pure list of curated links. You can read more about what it is and follow (because it’s a medium publication!) here:
You can help me curate links (and even send of your own) by using the LOL Link Sharer Chrome Extension. I talk more about what it is and how to use it here:
That’s it I guess.
You can get a detailed background about how listicles are ruining literature, and in general meaningful valuable content on the web
In this very very detailed article (which I’ve not written, mind you)
