Who else has had just about enough of the trending articles featuring lists of obscure opinions? Is it just me, or have Facebook and Twitter become one long collection of editorials disguised as numbered lists?
"41 Reasons Nieces and Nephews Prepare You to Be the Best Parent"
"10 Reasons Lesbian Break-Ups are Worse than any other Break-Up"
"22 Conversations Every Cat Owner has had with their Pet"
Don't get me wrong, I love a good list as much as the next girl. In fact, I could make a list about why I like lists.
Lists are sequential, and therefore easy to read. Also, most lists are titled in a no-non-sense way that lets the reader know exactly what they will be reading and for how long: "17 Things You Should Know Before Dating a Runner." No more, no less. Cause ain't nobody got time for that. Furthermore, in today's attention-deficit world, a list can be understood by scanning the numbered headers and hastefully ignoring the sub-content. Quick and easy.
However, since when did people start getting published for quick and easy material?
Another thing I am wondering: who decides how many numbers compose the final list? Are there only 19 reasons why "being a late bloomer made you a better person," or are those in fact the 19 most important reasons? I imagine the author of the article "21 Signs You were Raised by Lawyers" sitting at his computer, writing the 21st ambiguous indicator of lawyer parents and thinking, well, that's all I got. And then the beauty of the list, is that a conclusion isn't even necessary. 21. The End.
In fact, I could have made this post into a numbered format with ease, but I thought I'd spare the satire for another post.
You're welcome.