Three Reasons why It’s Time to Stop with Listicles

Listicles, or ‘List Based Articles’ are about as 2020 as you can get. Let them go.

What exactly is it about listicles that makes this particular type of article the default for the internet? Why have we relegated ourselves to this medium to formulate our posts?

I tend to notice this more with self-help and self-improvement natured posts over any other posts in my reading journey. However, it’s easier for me to pinpoint when an author was trying to stretch for the sake of just pushing out a story versus actually making a concerted effort to put out a meaningful post.

So, since you are all my friends, and I’m just here to help, I present to you, a listicle! Here are my reasons for letting the listicles go.

We are in a time of new beginnings. A ‘New Normal’, if you will. Try something new!

Yes, I know, you’ve only heard the term ‘New Normal’ more than you’ve probably heard a person say anything else this year. We’re in the middle of a Pandemic, we can’t go anywhere without wearing masks, and coughing in public has now become about as taboo as, well, anything.

Let this be a time to formulate new ways to get your point across. Let your story flow into something magical, where it all becomes a beautiful work of art that I cannot put down.

I just finished reading Alex Trebek’s memoir last night. This was hands down one of the best pieces of work I have read in at least a decade. I cried. I don’t cry when I read books. The man is an absolute genius.

His story was a story that brought about life lessons, moments of epiphany, and all the rest of the good things that you see in a memoir, without listicles. The man got his point across, without a listicle.

Maybe try telling a story in a series, as in three short parts, versus an article that was scrunched together because you needed to put something out there to make some money. This is a new day. Let us rejoice in it.

Readers can smell a listicle stunt from a mile away

Remember my story ‘Four Ways to Stay Sane this Election Season?’. I know that some of you fine people could tell it was a stunt. It felt stunt-y as I was writing it.

As I was writing (fyi, I wrote this after being ridiculously annoyed at the overwhelming amount of Election coverage plastered on my social media.) the story, I thought to myself, I wonder how many people are going to think that this is a stunt? Heck, how many people are going to easily pin this story I’m writing right now as a stunt?

I should mention, I am not the best writer in the universe, I’m just a person who has a lot on their mind. I’ve only made about 13 dollars on Medium so far, so I’m more a reader of this site than I am a writer.

However, as a reader of this site, I’m here to tell you, that it has been easier than ever this year to smell a listicle stunt versus a thoughtful story form a mile away. Always fun to view, not often as fun to read.

I guarantee you, I will only read a Listicle’s bold points

At this point, I am sure I’m telling on myself. Maybe you might be agreeing with this last point, and telling on yourselves in the process. Listicles have been created for productivity sake I suppose. You get the main point out of the way, and add filler in the paragraph.

I’m not a busy person, but I have a lot on my mind. When I see an interesting title that might be a good idea to look at, but know that it’s a listicle, I will act accordingly. I will read the bold points, and skim through the article at best. At worst, I’ll just look at the bold points and call it a day.

Because again, I’m not a busy person, but I have a lot on my mind. I am also an easily distracted person. Which is why it was an encouraging miracle that I managed to read Alex Trebek’s memoir.

Did I mention that I read his memoir? It was an absolute masterpiece. You should read it! Go find it where you find books. The library, Amazon, whatever. I don’t have affiliates anywhere, this is not a sales pitch, just go read the book.

See? Distracted easily.

In Conclusion

This was a clearly pitiful attempt at a listicle. To show the reason why we need to move on from the listicle as a form of expression. I don’t know why, but it seems like this year has seen an explosion of listicles. Not just in Medium, but in most news articles, websites, blogs, newsletters, everywhere. I don’t understand the allure behind the listicle, except for the fact that we may have relegated ourselves down to people with no attention spans.

There is hope for us. We can grow, and become the intellectual folk that our ancestors worked so hard for so long ago. But let us grow, without being stunted by listicles.

Y’all, take care of yourselves.