Over the past few weeks, I have developed a very guilty pleasure. I’m not proud of it, but I am not the only one to have fallen prey to this newest addiction.
My name is Becki Brown, and I’m addicted to BuzzFeed quizzes.
A few weeks ago, my esteemed colleague Lauren Dwyer, or as we call her, the Sass Master, wrote an article that basically condemned certain aspects of the internet, including BuzzFeed. However, at one point she was at least mildly entertained by the website.
She states, “I will admit, for a short time I went on Tumblr and even BuzzFeed for a few laughs. But then I realized that they are such a complete waste of time,” (“I Really Hate the Internet” March 3, 2014).
Luckily for her, she was able to realize that it is one big waste of time and leave. I know that it’s a waste of time. I could spend hours finding out which type of shoe I would be or where I should REALLY be going on vacation.
However, it will in no way help me finish my senior seminar project, prepare for symposium or finish a unit plan for one of my classes.
One thing that makes me feel slightly better about myself is that, as I said earlier, I’m not the only one addicted to these quizzes. My Facebook newsfeed is plastered with things like “I Got Most Lovable Band Geek! What’s Your Actual High School Superlative?” or “I got Sir Lancelot! Which Famous Knight Are You?”
When the majority of things that you’re scrolling past are these quizzes, you can’t help but get dragged in (or maybe I just don’t have any willpower).
I think I may have figured out why these quizzes are as catchy as a pop song.
They don’t make you think. When you are taking a BuzzFeed quiz, you don’t usually have to put much thought into your answer because you have only a few options to choose from and most of the questions that these quizzes ask are not very deep or thought provoking.
Quite frequently, you don’t even have to read the answers. You just have to choose between pictures.
Mostly, they test you on your ability to click boxes, and at the end it gives you an answer that most of the time causes the quiz-taker to say something along the lines of “Wow. That is totally the Seinfeld character I would be,” or “No way would I be Bree from Desperate Housewives! I’m Gabriella. This is so rigged!”
I mean, how much can a quiz tell you about yourself based off of your favorite color and which of the seven deadly sins you equate yourself with the most?
Not much, so don’t complain that you didn’t get an answer that doesn’t perfectly describe you.
I’ve found myself disappointed (or confused) by many a quiz result that I’ve gotten since my addiction started, and I will admit that I’ve shared at least one quiz on facebook.
I also do know that I shouldn’t take these things seriously (and probably shouldn’t take them as often), but I guess there are worse things I could be doing. At least I’m not playing Candy Crush.
Becki Brown
Editor in Chief