Eliana Nunez

COM Writing 201

Professor Davis
23 April 2014
Buzzfeed Connects, Informs, and Entertains
Right now on Buzzfeed, there are headlines stating Moscow Laughs Off New
U.S. Sanctions Over Ukraine, 16 Lyrics We Definitely Scribbled In Our High School
Diaries(sponsored by Spotify, a commercial music streaming service), How Much of
Fast Food Junkie Are You? and The Secret History of Britney Spears Lost Album.
The array of article topics Buzzfeed covers draws, according to NewsCred 40 million
readers on average each month.
Anywhere in America you will find a student sitting somewhere attempting to do
his schoolwork in a timely manner and failing. It is common to procrastinate. But lately,
when you look at their phones or computer screens, youll find that teenagers are
occupying their procrastination time with Buzzfeed.
Its a waste of my time. I know whenever I go on there Im wasting my time.
Sometimes I wish it was never invented, says college Freshman Alyssa Garcia.
Buzzfeed is a news site, a quiz site, celebrity blog, and more all wrapped into one.
There are articles every day about what is happening around the world and what new
trends are gaining popularity. The site uses things like gifs (silent video clips from a
movie, tv show, home video, or animation) and memes (an idea, style or action which
spreads, often as mimicry, from person to person in picture form) to illustrate what they
want to say in a simple form.

Lyndsey Wheeler, Staff Writer for NewsCred says, The key to Buzzfeeds
success is its grasp on new media. Covering everything from celebrity gossip, tech news,
food content, pop culture, Internet memes, and top ten lists, Buzzfeed content consists of
images, videos, and links that capture the essence of viral media.
It is more accessible to students as they are looking for a simple read. It is easy to
follow along to important news and this is one of the reasons it attracts such a large
following of younger people. Boston University Freshman Paige Kronauer says, I dont
think I would read it if it didnt have pictures.
There are also articles that talk about things people have in common. For
example, there are articles titled 26 Things People with Curly-Hair Are Tired of
Hearing. Articles like these attract lots of readers as well. They are allowed to sound off
in the comments about how much they related or how little they related. Readers can also
share content on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
People can relate to it. It uses things we use in our every day lives. Like memes
and gifs, says Garcia.
Kronauer interrupts to say, Its amazing. Its a great way to pass the time. But it
also has real news. It relates to my life.
Psychologist Dr. Michael Freidman told Metro, On the Internet, there are billions
of people out there and you only need a few to feel a connection. Certain people do things
to try and find them.
Sharing Buzzfeed articles will be dismissed by the majority of people, but
acknowledged by a select few. These connections create a community. They give people
something to talk about on social networking sites and in person. They let people know

that theyre not alone. In a world where technology makes interactions impersonal,
Buzzfeeds relatable articles allow users to create connections with others that they may
have never been able to before.
In addition to these articles, Buzzfeed has a section of quizzes that users can take
for fun. There are quizzes that predict life events or tell users which character youd be in
a movie. Also, there are quizzes users can take with best friends to find out which pair of
best friends you are in a movie. Again, the sense of community brings readers to
Buzzfeed.
According to Metro, Columbia Business professor Keith Wilcox says, It is
tapping into a trend on social media where people are posting positive things about
themselves, or a soft boast. He added that a soft boast is described as someone posting
a picture of himself in a foreign country instead of outright boasting about it. Wilcox
says, Its a way for you to communicate how good you or your interests are without
going overboard.
Preston Ni, professor in communication studies at Foothill College, told Metro,
Its part of the social media self-advertisement trend. It helps people who are less
expressive and more introverted to identify themselves and let other people know who
they are. Its a good way to start a conversation topic and its better than what I ate
today or how my cat looks today.
Buzzfeed goes beyond personal connections with articles like 16 Thoughts
Prince George Has Had While On The Royal Tour. Readers are invited to learn more
about the royal family and what theyve been doing. Buzzfeed has found a formula of
incorporating attractive subjects (like babies and animals) and newsworthy topics to

attract readers. Technology has allowed us to multitask and do it quickly. Readers are
more likely to click on links they think will amuse them for the ten minutes they have
during break. With Buzzfeeds formula, readers learn of things they wouldnt have
before.
Buzzfeed also has a news section where they present topics more seriously. There
is still a heavy social media presence in these articles as they can include YouTube
videos and Twitter reactions.
In addition to their reader-friendly formatting, Buzzfeed is careful to not push
advertising on its readers.
Wheeler, who claims that popular banner ads have been ineffective at attracting
consumers, says Buzzfeed encouraged advertisers to create native advertising
content that would integrate seamlessly into Buzzfeeds homepage news feed. By pairing
with brands-turned-publishers such as GE, Toyota, and Schick, Buzzfeed has been able to
feature entertaining and highly-sharable advertorials emphasizing the brands in a less
offensive and overtly promotional way.
Wheeler attributes Buzzfeeds success to the importance of understanding new
media and the way to engage readers in the 21st century.
Buzzfeed employers are not gambling on the content they put out. They are
conscious of the fleeting success of websites like MySpace and are determined to
establish their brand.
Wheeler knows that Buzzfeeds tech platform, which detects viral content in
order to provide a snapshot of the web in realtime, replicates what social media users see

every day. It harnesses their natural tendency to share interesting content with peers on
the web via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
According to Wheeler, if Buzzfeeds comprehension of new media is any
indication of the future, social and viral content are going to be the main focus of the
Internet.

Works Cited
Alyssa Garcia, April 27, 2014, acgarcia@bu.edu
Paige Kronauer, April 27, 2014, paigek@bu.edu
Park, Andrea. Why are Buzzfeed Quizzes so Popular? Experts Explain the
Phenomenon. Metro. Feb. 2014.
Wheeler, Lyndsey. Buzzfeeds Key to Succes: Embracing New Media. NewsCred.