It’s no secret that many of the things promoted on websites like BuzzFeed aren’t exactly the finest pieces of journalism on the Internet. A recent example would be an article I read titled “Timmy Turner from ‘The Fairly OddParents’ is Ridiculously Hot Now.” I honestly can’t describe the amount of shame I felt afterward.
BuzzFeed is not a source that many rely on for hard news, and although the site does a decent job keeping readers updated on various current events stories and issues happening in the world around us, the only content that ever seems to go viral is stuff like the above mentioned article.
Maybe this is more BuzzFeed’s fault than the readers,’ as they are the ones who decide what is considered newsworthy, especially when they use headlines that express how much we “need to know” or “must do” throughout our everyday lives. Unless you’re some sort of robot, though, we still have the ability to decide what content is or isn’t worth a look.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with reading fun, tongue-in-cheek articles, especially with all of the negativity seen within most top stories. But what exactly does our preference to click and share fluff pieces instead of things that actually matter say about our generation?
If you go online and Google the words “Millenial” and “ignorant” together, you’ll come across a cache of posts saying that we’re apathetic and unaware of everything that’s going on outside of our personalized social bubbles. Although that may not be true of every young person, it’s a shocking reality for many.
I’m not trying to chastise anyone or to discourage people from having fun online, as I love to share silly BuzzFeed quizzes myself every now and then. What I am saying is that as future leaders of this country, we must actively become aware of the issues and events that are going to shape our lives for the years to come.
Reading or watching the news may not be the most enjoyable things to do, but it’s our duty to always remain informed so we can prove to the naysayers that everything will be in good hands down the road.
