12 Feb 5 Signs You are Reading Too Many Listicles

Wikipedia says a “listicle” is a “short-form of writing that uses a list as its thematic structure, but fleshed out with sufficient copy to be published as an article.” Wiki also says that some suggest that it sounds a lot like “popsicle,” which is appropriate since it is “emphasizing the fun but ‘not too nutritious’ nature of the listicle.” The concept includes rankings of things, which have been around for awhile, or those with a theme, like my “5 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Howard Stern.”

Are listicles good? Can they help you in business? In life? We know they have proliferated in the online world as it appears the attention span for reading within the blogosphere has dwindled as Twitter showed us how to limit our thoughts to 140 characters. Here are five signs you are too into listicles:

1. You already knew what a listicle was.

2. You have not read an actual full book in over a year.

3. You are way over your phone provider’s monthly limits on your data plan.

4. You are annoyed by listicles that list more than 5 things.

5. You read all the way to here.

I am guilty of writing many listicles. I like the challenge of conveying a message in a concise and bullet-pointy fashion. As a lawyer I’ve always been a big believer in writing documents, disclosure and contracts in as plain English as possible. I seek to do the same in my commentary and advice I offer my blogees and readers. One online article suggests it is humans’ strong need for order that provides the attractiveness. Others suggest it is changing the face of journalism. My goal: fun and nutrition.