“OMG”, “WIN”, “FAIL”, “EPIC”, “LOL”, “WTF” banners flag your entrance.
An instant assault of information and amusement is waiting upon the doorstep of Buzzfeed’s flashy site.
Are you looking to browse GIF slideshows of cats, dogs and hedgehogs? The site has plenty in stock. Perhaps you’re curious to find out which Nintendo character you are or which Hogwarts House you would be sorted into? Buzzfeed’s quizzes overfloweth.
Every possible subject is touched, every micro-targeted, online population is reached. Its wide allure has led to a viral visitor count, 130 million visitors counted during the month of November, confirming there’s proof in the buzzing.
And while the ability to curate lists, quizzes and news is quite the cyber feat, Buzzfeed cannot be both the Times & Twitter.
3 Things About Buzzfeed to Love and Leave:
Love:
1. Reader-friendly lists.
We will demonstrate the successful tactic by keeping your attention for the duration of this article with the simple separating and spacing of sentences. Our brains process listed information more quickly and retain it much easier. The method makes Buzzfeed’s content comprehendible and accessible and therefore, encourage site visitors to read on.
2. Real news is getting foot traffic.
The sly slipping of a news article in between “22 Reasons Why Straight White Boys Are Actually The Worst” and “29 Denim Brands You Totally Forgot Existed” gives Buzzfeed browsers the chance to actually make their visit constructive. The site has made it possible for a person to be up-to-date even by only eyeing a headline mid-scroll.
3. Building repertoire.
At its infancy, Buzzfeed acted as a site collecting trending links from across the World Wide Web. Ever since, the site has been working to add more well-respected elements to make it more versatile.
Leave:
1. Simplified Contents
Generation Y has often been defined by its digitally overloaded brains incapable of long-form reading. Thus, Buzzfeed’s article-list hybrids, “listcles,” are the site’s hallmark. However, defaulting to this method neither informs nor challenges its readers, only feeding lazy interpreting of content.
2. News, Schmooze
The more outrageous, the higher up the totem pole Buzzfeed feels to publicize it. Though it generates newsworthy material, the site does not identify itself as primarily a source of news. As a consequence, Buzzfeed is not held responsible to the journalistic practices of the reputable news sites. Instead, it takes credit by paraphrasing the particulars and linking the longer, but vital news elements. The site has been under fire for copyright infringements and questioning of its “fair use.” While it can be useful for being briefly primed on an issue, its contents are compressed and void of unbiased reporting.
3. The Coat of Too Many Colors
They advertise, they report and they entertain, knighting Buzzfeed an undeclared medley of news and pop culture. This also means the site is infiltrated by “Sponsored Posts,” serving as undercover advertisements to credit for its $200 million valuation.
The site is six years young, with a lot of upgrading to grow on. You can’t business in front and party in the back, Buzzfeed. We can appreciate the attempt to marry both the profound and fun. But, for the millions of Buzzfeed virtual visitors, we encourage readers to be aware what exactly they’re clicking into.
