Why I Hate Buzzfeed: A Critical Analysis

Buzzfeed has become a ubiquitous presence in the online world. It is one of the most-visited websites in the world, and its influence on the media landscape cannot be overstated. However, despite its ubiquity, I find myself increasingly disliking Buzzfeed. In this critical analysis, I will examine the reasons why I dislike Buzzfeed and how it has failed to meet my expectations. I will examine the types of content Buzzfeed produces, the way it is presented, and the way it is monetized. I will also consider the implications of Buzzfeed’s influence on the media industry. Ultimately, I hope that this analysis will help to shed some light on why I am not a fan of Buzzfeed and how it could be improved.

Why I Hate Buzzfeed?

Clickbait-y titles

This one really gets to me. It’s obvious that these kinds of clickbait-y headlines exist on other news websites as well, but BuzzFeed’s is especially bad. The headlines are often so ambiguous and vague that you have no idea what the article is even about. Many of the BuzzFeed headlines are so vague that you can’t even tell if it’s an opinion piece or not. The articles tend to be in the form of a listicle, which is just a list of facts and things with a catchy title at the top. What gets me the most is when BuzzFeed tries to trick people into clicking on their articles with misleading and clickbait-y titles. I believe this is a manipulative way of getting people to read their content. Not to mention it’s also a really cheap way of gaining readers.

Opinionated and biased content

There are plenty of articles on BuzzFeed that have an overt opinion or bias toward them. Many people enjoy reading opinion pieces, but what I don’t like is that they’re often not labeled as such. That’s not to say opinion pieces are inherently bad. But when you’re not transparent and upfront about that fact, it becomes less trustworthy and less valid. Like with the clickbait-y titles, I can’t tell if the articles I’m reading are opinions or facts (or a mix of both). This is an issue because being unbiased and honest about your articles is key for good journalism. You can see this issue in an article BuzzFeed published on the top 10 countries to visit in 2019. The article makes some bold and overgeneralized statements about the countries on the list, and all of these opinions are presented as facts.

Proliferation of listicles

A listicle is an article that is mostly made up of a list of facts or items with a title at the top. They’re often quite short and can be about literally anything. In the past couple of years, BuzzFeed has become notorious for its listicles. They’re all over the site. It’s been said that BuzzFeed lives and breathes listicles. And while they’re a fun and easy way to write content, they don’t really allow for any originality.

Lack of quality content

BuzzFeed is a website that often publishes and re-publishes content that’s been published elsewhere. In some cases, they don’t even credit other websites for the content! This is a huge problem because it means BuzzFeed isn’t creating original content. It’s just taking other people’s work and passing it off as their own. They’re not actually creating new stuff! This is a huge problem for me because I like to support and read original content. This means that BuzzFeed isn’t a legitimate place to read good content. This is also a problem because it means BuzzFeed isn’t being original and innovative. Instead, they’re just taking other people’s hard work and publishing it on their site, without giving any credit.

Overview Of Buzzfeed

1. Buzzfeed is a New York-based online media company that was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti. It was initially a Silicon Valley-based startup, but it has since grown into a large media company that employs nearly 1,000 staff members around the world. 
2. Buzzfeed has a network of over 50 websites that are aimed at different audiences. Its flagship website, Buzzfeed.com, attracts over 300 million visitors each month. The website’s content is largely focused on viral content, entertainment, and lists.
3.  Buzzfeed produces a wide range of content that can be loosely categorized into three groups: quizzes, listicles, and long-form journalism. Quizzes are short, interactive pieces that often use visual content such as images or videos. 
4. They are usually designed to be viral and are aimed at a young audience. Listicles are short articles that are structured as a list and often use clickbait headlines to entice readers. They are focused on sharing interesting facts and are commonly used to increase website traffic.

Types Of Content Produced By Buzzfeed

• Buzzfeed produces a wide range of content, but it can be loosely categorized into three groups: quizzes, listicles, and long-form journalism.
•  Quizzes – Quizzes are short, interactive pieces that often use visual content such as images or videos. They are usually designed to be viral and are aimed at a young audience.
•  Listicles – Listicles are short articles that are structured as a list and often use clickbait headlines to entice readers. They are focused on sharing interesting facts and are commonly used to increase website traffic.
•  Long-form Journalism – This is Buzzfeed’s attempt to produce legitimate journalism and has received a lot of attention recently. Long-form journalism usually features in-depth interviews and analysis of newsworthy events.

The Presentation Of Buzzfeed Content

1. Buzzfeed publishes all of the types of content described above in a variety of formats. It publishes quizzes, listicles, and long-form journalism, but the way that it presents these differ depending on the type of content it is publishing. Buzzfeed’s quizzes are often presented as a standalone piece of content, but they are sometimes embedded within an article.
2. They are normally presented as short piece of interactive content that includes questions and images. Buzzfeed’s quizzes are usually very low-effort, but they are generally not overly educational or useful.
3. Buzzfeed’s listicles are commonly presented as standalone pieces of content that are designed to be consumed quickly so that readers can share them. They are normally very short articles that are designed to be shareable and attract clicks.
4. They often use clickbait headlines to entice readers and are frequently low-effort and low-quality. Buzzfeed’s long-form journalism is presented as a standalone article that is clearly marked as journalism. 
5. These articles are often well-researched and in-depth and are definitely not clickbait. As such, they are more useful and educational than Buzzfeed’s other content.

How Buzzfeed Is Monetized? 

• Buzzfeed’s content is frequently plagued by clickbait headlines and low-effort content. This is because Buzzfeed has to generate an absurd amount of traffic in order to generate enough ad revenue to stay afloat. For example, Buzzfeed has over 700 employees, which is significantly higher than the industry average. 
• This means that Buzzfeed has a very high operating cost per employee: it has to pay for a lot of staff members. This means that Buzzfeed needs to generate a lot of traffic in order to stay financially solvent. 
• Buzzfeed generates a lot of this traffic by publishing clickbait articles and using low-effort content. This approach is effective, but it does not create particularly high-quality content. However, Buzzfeed does have a few other tricks up its sleeve. As well as publishing a lot of free content, Buzzfeed also has an in-house creative agency that produces sponsored content.

The Influence Of Buzzfeed On The Media Industry

1. Buzzfeed is one of the most influential online media companies in the world. It has an enormous audience that it attracts through its viral content, advertising, and sponsored articles. This influence has been largely positive, as it has helped to break down barriers that existed between mainstream media and the online world. 
2. This has helped to diversify the media landscape by bringing in new voices and perspectives. However, there are also some negative implications of Buzzfeed’s influence. One of the most pressing issues is that Buzzfeed frequently publishes clickbait articles that are low-quality. 
3. This means that Buzzfeed is contributing to the degradation of the online media landscape by lowering the quality of content that is published. This is harmful to both the media industry and the general public as it lowers the bar for what is considered acceptable content. The fact that Buzzfeed frequently publishes sponsored content also raises some concerns about its integrity as a media company.

Implications Of Buzzfeed’s Influence On The Media Industry

• Buzzfeed is one of the most influential online media companies in the world. It has an enormous audience that it attracts through its viral content, advertising, and sponsored articles. This influence has been largely positive, as it has helped to break down barriers that existed between mainstream media and the online world.
•  This has helped to diversify the media landscape by bringing in new voices and perspectives. There are also some negative implications of Buzzfeed’s influence. One of the most pressing issues is that Buzzfeed frequently publishes clickbait articles that are low-quality. 
• This means that Buzzfeed is contributing to the degradation of the online media landscape by lowering the quality of content that is published. This is harmful to both the media industry and the general public as it lowers the bar for what is considered acceptable content. 
• The fact that Buzzfeed frequently publishes sponsored content also raises some concerns about its integrity as a media company.

Conclusion

Buzzfeed has become a ubiquitous presence in the online world. It is one of the most-visited websites in the world, and its influence on the media landscape cannot be overstated. However, despite its ubiquity, I find myself increasingly disliking Buzzfeed. In this critical analysis, I will examine the reasons why I dislike Buzzfeed and how it has failed to meet my expectations. I will examine the types of content Buzzfeed produces, the way it is presented, and the way it is monetized.