Why Is Buzzfeed So Buzz Worthy?

As ubiquitous as Facebook has become, seeing a Buzzfeed article at the top of a Facebook newsfeed has become nearly as frequent. What’s more, the Buzzfeed phenomenon escalated seemingly overnight.

Its description on the site characterizes Buzzfeed as “the social news and entertainment company,” an appropriately catch-all description for its wide range of content. Presumptuous article use aside, the site has become a haven for Internet skimmers of all varieties.

From web-standard cat humor to “Reasons Why You’re Single” to breathtaking montages of faraway destinations, Buzzfeed boasts a little of everything. Most common is the prominent numbered list (for example, “29 Tasty Vegetarian Paleo Recipes”) which has snowballed far beyond the reaches of the site itself into a popular article format featured on numerous sites and blogs.

In fact, Buzzfeed is riding a new wave of social media, one that blends entertainment and news facts by ditching traditional reporting formats for numbered points, eye-catching .gifs, and a healthy dose of Internet lingo.

Priscilla Rangel, a senior social work major said she loves Buzzfeed. “Its lighthearted articles give people something to relate to,” she said.

The brevity and flashiness of Buzzfeed’s features appeal to just about anyone. Rangel said she doesn’t know anyone who doesn’t like a good laugh. She said reading articles on the site can definitely bring a smile to people’s faces.

“It has become so popular because it satisfies our need for easy humor,” Rangel said. “It keeps up with what’s current, and of course, because everyone enjoys figuring out more about themselves via categorical quizzes.”

The theme of these trending articles, quizzes, and clips that spread so effortlessly through the Web is that they are all relatable. This is the refrain Buzzfeed has joined, the common factor among all the Internet institutions currently on the rise. Rangel said this is a time when we can access any information we want, and we cling to what we resonate with.

In the words of sophomore electronic media and communications major Hannah Jane Turner, “People often post those Buzzfeed blogs because the articles state their opinions in a better way than they themselves ever could.”