PBS Idea Channel

Eleventy Reasons Listicles Are Great (4x58)

Air date: Dec 16, 2015

We’ve all seen them. Links to articles in list-form are taking over our timelines more and more every day. Although this has become strongly associated with the culture, editorials, and blogs borne of the internet era, this is not a new phenomenon. It turns out that there is plenty of historical evidence to explain why it is that these “Listicles” are so popular. In fact, humans have been using lists to organize and consume content for thousands of years!