Lists are everywhere
Lists are everywhere now in social media and mainstream media. An evolution of our shrinking attention span and need to be spoon fed the bullet points. Sometimes, with a hefty dose of advertising hidden within, that we gobble up without notice, like hiding a dog’s medication deep in its food.
My whole life I have resisted lists. Starting in defiance to authority, not needing to write things down because unlike cell phones today kids rarely carried around pens 20 years ago. Even in grade school, I remember specifically being told “No lists!” with regards to book reports and essays.
Ironically the list is long of the reasons I resist the list, but here are five ideas I numbered.
1. It’s the laziest way to tell a story. I prefer a painted picture over an overhead projection. Tell me more about your ten favorite doors in Europe or getting drunk in your five favorite pubs of London. Lazier still is the one who compiles their list by using what others have listed.
2. Predictable and ridiculous exclusions or inclusions. Everyone knows that the top five American car makers will include Chevy and Ford. Just like we know everything gives you cancer and your hometown is one of the best places on earth to live.
3. Comments. It’s too bad there isn’t a way to remove the lists and just show us the comments. Predictably, comments include additions and subtractions to the list, but the sum total is always the same, personal opinion. The true gold lies in the ranting comment from a person who has completely misunderstood the list and then is being berated by her fellow readers for any list of reasons. A modern “stoning by comment” for their witch like thoughts.
4. Native advertising. No this doesn’t mean an ad for an Indian casino. Like the Black Plague, native advertising has infected modern journalism and there is nowhere more lethal for it to spread its contagions than a well written list. Hidden like a snake in the grass, a camouflaged sales pitch sometimes exposing the blatantly contrived reason for the list. Popular “buzz” websites have made billions perfecting the art of grafting native advertising to lists.
5. There is no #5. You have probably got bored or distracted and moved on to the next list anyway. Comment below.
Loved your phrase, “a modern stoning by comment” and enjoyed reading your rant. As a compulsive list maker in my previous life before both early retirement and full-time travel I would have felt naked and unarmored without my “to do” list, my goals list (both 1 and 5 year) and lists to prepare for any other needs that might crop up. Part of our goals (unwritten!) when we first began our travels was trying to shed old, competitive behaviors that led to stress and, except for our daily grocery list, we’ve largely succeeded. However, now that our lists have disappeared and we’re working on going with the flow, I’ve noticed a proliferation of yellow post-it notes cropping up … I have a feeling that the older we get the more post-its will appear!
Haha thanks for the comment Anita, the only reason I make lists now is for fear of forgetting something 😉
Love that your post is in the form of a list! Lists appeal to obsessives (like me).
You might enjoy this biography about Roget, who created the thesaurus:-) http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Made-Lists/dp/0425225895
Glad you got the irony of the list rant in list form. Will check out the book!
I hear you. I’ve only recently started using a grocery list, but my husband is the one who has to come up with it. I’ve always resisted them, too, for some reason. Anyway, I understand what you’re saying, but I guess I don’t feel as strongly about it. I don’t mind bullets and numbers, but there has to be some meaningful detail.
I agree with you about lists and don’t write them myself. But, we can’t deny that huge masses of readers click to read.
I agree, there’s no denying the masses click to read but is it because most don’t have the attention span to read an article and would rather see bullet points? That is the question.
LOL – thanks for the anti-list list! I am an inveterate lister, and was way before the Internet was even a glimmer in a scientist’s eye. I kept lists of good behaviors, bad ones, birthdays, things to buy for school, what I wanted to be when I grew up… and that’s when I was seven. My compulsion grew and is only manageable enough for me not to list the many reasons lists make my life manageable. But then, I’m a Taurus and we were born with color-coded dividers in the drawer next to the cot, I’m sure!