Almost every kid who has
ever been on a computer has heard their parents complain about them wasting
time. I know I have heard plenty, especially from my mom complaining about me
wasting my life away on Buzzfeed.com. She could not understand how one
entertainment website could be helpful for anyone. What are these kids looking
at? Is it informative? Relaxing? Or “dumbing” them down? Most parents feel that
the use of “entertainment” websites does more harm than good for their
children. What they do not see is that Buzzfeed is not only an entertainment
website, but a great place to obtain information about events all over the
world.
To begin, let me explain what exactly Buzzfeed is. The
website describes itself as a “social news and entertainment company” (“About”
1). When a person enters the site, the homepage is filled with articles that
vary from DIY bracelets to the most recent presidential debate to a “which ice
cream are you” quiz. Across the top of the homepage there are tabs that bring
you to different sections of the website. The most common tab I click on is the
“trending” circle. This little circle transports people to a page that includes
the twenty top trending articles at that moment in time. Along the same lines
as the homepage, this list includes articles that cover a large variety of
topics that range from the “Try Guys” trying out the latest Halloween costumes
to a list of the best ways to get your money’s worth at movie theaters. Despite
the amount of entertainment options to click on, Buzzfeed also has a news
section dedicated to informing its readers about events occurring around the
world. This section is not about pop stars shaving heads or the next celebrity
divorce; these stories cover terrorist attacks, people in poverty, and the
presidential campaign. Whether one is trying to find an entertaining article or
get their daily news, Buzzfeed is available for almost anyone who has access to
the World Wide Web.
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| Buzzfeed Logo |
As a result of internet access being so common in today’s
world, there are multiple opinions about the impact it has on children and
teens. Some people argue the negative effects of the internet on the human race,
whereas others discuss the positive outcomes from websites. There is also a mixed viewpoint that claims
the internet has its own pros and cons. In one corner of the ring we have those
against which include parents whose offspring use the internet and in the
opposing corner, in support of the internet, are the children, teens and young
adults that require internet access for their survival. Then there is me, the
ref in the middle who sees the strong points of each “fighter” and secretly
cheers for both opponents.
To begin, let’s discuss those people who always seem to
be against their children’s internet usage: the parents. Every household has
their own rules about the usage of the internet for each member of the family.
It is a common occurrence for the parents to always be in support of the “less
internet is better” stance. A recent study completed in 2006 supports that
parents are beginning to feel that less time spent online is better for their
kids. According to that survey, “over half of all parents of online teens (59%)
say that the internet has been a good thing for their children, that number has
decreased…from 67% in 2004” (Macgill 5). As technology becomes easier to access
and new social websites are created, the more negative impact it has on
parents’ views on certain websites. Around “two-thirds of parents” have
restrictions on websites that kids can visit (Macgill 5). Adults are more
likely to ban a website with celebrity gossip and “stupid” quizzes, which is
what they would see Buzzfeed as. A recent study, entitled Driven to Distraction led by Larry Rosen, brings to light a pattern
that is being found in teens and children that spend an increasing amount of
time on electronics. Rosen discovered in his research that more and more teens
are beginning to have a shorter attention span than previous generations. The
study reported that “Three-fourths of teens…check their devices every 15
minutes or less and if not allowed to do so get highly anxious” (Rosen 2). These
worrying results give parents an understandable explanation for why they give
their children a restricted time frame on the internet. Most people don’t
realize how much time they “waste” on the computer mindlessly clicking on
different links. Teens spend around “27 hours and 36 minutes” (“Time Spent” 1)
online each week. That is over a full day’s worth of talking to people face to
face or spending time outdoors that these teens and children are missing. Maybe
adults do have reasonable points as to why they restrict internet usage and
always groan when they see the bright red, blocky font of the Buzzfeed logo show
up on the computer screen. They are programmed to look after their kids’
wellbeing, right? In other words, any parent would have to just not care to
stand by and let their kid become internet obsessed, anxiety-ridden robots.
Despite the overwhelming studies about the negative
impacts of entertainments websites—and the internet in general— have on young
adults and children, there are still people who support the usage of the
internet in everyday life. The education expectations bar for modern day teens is
beginning to grow as fast as Jack’s beanstalk. Most students are trying their
best to climb to the top and make their families proud, however that goal
requires longer study periods. More time dedicated to school, homework, and
extracurricular activities results in a decrease of the valuable leisure time
kids in past generations had. A main cause of the decrease in spare time is the
high standards set by college admissions. Modern day admission workers for
colleges are looking for a “well-rounded” student who is involved in many
activities, but they also have to have at least some type of an “A” grade in
their high school classes. In short, most people in today’s world do not have
time to sit down and watch an hour news segment to be caught up on their news
for the day. With the development of technology, they are able to read the news
in twenty minutes versus an hour. Young adults and teens are still reading the
same news as their parents, they are just receiving it from a source that
benefits themselves, such as their phone or the internet. Just like TV, there
are multiple “channels” for your news online. One of the most common internet
“channels” among teens and young adults is Buzzfeed. Not all websites contain only the serious,
stressful news, and Buzzfeed has a great way of relaxing people. In the way a
newspaper has comics, Buzzfeed has fun and relaxing articles and quizzes to
brighten anyone’s day. These stress-reducing activities could include an
article about “10 reasons dogs are cool” to a “What phone fits your
personality?” quiz. The opportunity to connect with others, share articles that
are a personal favorite, or have a small debate in the comments section is
changing the way people connect with each other. Writing in the book I found it on the Internet: Coming of Age
Online, Frances Harris claims that “Online communication has great
potential for increasing intimacy and closeness in human relationships” (72). Internet
allows people to build or strengthen relationships quicker, and can even help
create new ones with people from around the world. For teens and young adults
the pros of the internet outweigh the cons. A youth’s ability to access news
quickly, create new friendships, and the opportunity to unwind is the perfect
package for anyone—and it is available at the tip of their fingers daily.
As I stated earlier, my feelings on the subject are intermingled.
I do support parents’ positions that too much internet is bad, but I find the
young adults’ argument about the positive effects internet has on people to be
equally persuasive. Regarding the parents’
viewpoint on things, I completely agree with the negative impact technology is
having on the length of our attention—Look a butterfly!—span. Even as I am
writing this paper, every ten minutes I am stopping to check my phone or check
up on my social accounts. I actually just started playing Pandora in order to
listen to Christmas music as I work.
Checking email, looking at Facebook, and among
other things has just become a daily routine as I complete my homework. Until
reading that article, I didn’t realize how much time I have wasted and
currently am wasting just looking at pointless things on the internet. However,
when I am not doing homework, the internet is a great source to obtain valuable
information or my daily dose of worldly gossip. Inside of the mysterious
cyberspace, there are multiple ways to find anything from homework help to a
quick guide to baking cookies from scratch, or even to decide which two colors
look the best together. People need time to unwind and not think about that
paper that is due Monday, the credit load they have to take on next semester,
or if they have finally picked the “right” major. Overall the internet is good,
but people need to know that too much of something does not always create
positive results. One must know when to stop clicking on the link to the next
page and close the screen to spend time with actual people.
Challengers against internet usage—especially Buzzfeed—are
right to argue that people do waste time while they are on the internet. But
they exaggerate when they claim that nothing good at all comes from the
internet besides world news information. The entertainment section of Buzzfeed might
be considered a "waste of time", but it is very helpful for those
people who just need to relax after a stressful day of work, school, or life. In
this section, there are links to "find your Harry Potter house"
quizzes, tests that see if you are truly knowledgeable about the Disney movie Mulan, and articles about the next best
shampoo. This section might just be an excuse to procrastinate doing homework,
but people need time to unwind and not think about the hassles of life. The fun
times spent on that page might spark someone's creative mind or give them a
laugh that makes their day. The "time-wasting" quizzes in fact could
lead to strange facts that may help one win in the future during trivia game
night. The entertainment page also does more than just give people fun quizzes;
it also connects them to interesting stories about people around the globe. Buzzfeed
also uses its connections to spread stories to the world about people in need.
When you access the site, there are touching stories about everyday people who
survived the world's worst tragedies. Recently there was a writing, entitled “How
One of Katrina’s Feel-Good Stories Turned Bad”, about Kathy Phipps's life 10
years after Hurricane Katrina (Moskowitz 1). The article brought to life the
horrors experienced during, after, and today as a result of the awful storm. Not
all stories are about negative events, however. Some personal articles cover
the success stories of people overcoming cancer or feature a family who is trying
to raise money for a cause. A result of the Buzzfeed article about their
charity or fund helps those people meet their goals. Through their articles,
Buzzfeed has informed a lot of a people about different diseases, life
difficulties, exciting achievements, and charities that need help.
Although the use of Buzzfeed seems trivial, it is in fact
just the tip of the iceberg in terms of today’s concerns over internet usage.
While this may seem far-fetched, parents and teens need to be able to see
eye-to-eye in order to understand the others stance on internet usage. Teens
must understand that parents are trying to protect them because they care about
them and want what is best for their children, while parents must develop an
understanding that their child’s youth will be different from theirs. Teens are
growing up in a world full of technology and they will most likely not do
things that their parents did in their days for fun. Both sides must work
together to understand the other. As Joseph Jourbert said “The aim of argument,
or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress” (Quotes 1).
To sum up everything written, there always seems to be a
love-hate relationship with the internet. When people think about Buzzfeed and
the internet overall, most would automatically point out the bad, time-wasting
material. However, I want to emphasize that it is more than just a procrastination
tool; Buzzfeed is more than quizzes and articles about the next top hairstyle.
This site provides worried young adults with a variety of different
information, including “how to survive college tips” to recent coverage of events
occurring in the Middle East. All of these wonderful opportunities hidden in
just one website remind me of a saying that I heard often as a child: “Don’t
judge a book by its cover”. Maybe it is time for people to stop judging the
internet before they truly look into it and see what it has to offer. Sometimes
the best things on the internet are found when you don’t expect to find them.
Works Cited
"About
BuzzFeed." BuzzFeed. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Harris, Frances
J. I Found It on the Internet: Coming of Age Online. Chicago: American
Library Assoc., 2011. Print.
"Joseph
Joubert." Quotes.net. The STANDS4 Newtwork, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Macgill,
Alexandra. "Parent and Teen Internet Use." Pew Research Center
Internet Science Tech RSS. The Pew
Charitable Trusts, 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
Moskowitz, Peter. "How One of Katrina's Feel-Good
Stories Turned Bad." Buzzfeed.com. Buzzfeed, 22 Aug. 2015. Web. 8 Nov. 2015.
Rosen, Larry.
"Driven to Distraction: How to Help Wired Students Learn to Focus -
ECampus News." ECampus News.
N.p., 13 Nov. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2015.
"Time
Spent Online Doubles in a Decade." Time Spent Online Doubles in a
Decade. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov.
2015.
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