10. Curiosity.
Sometimes we have nothing better to do. Sometimes we have a genuine interest. Then there are other times where you have absolutely no idea what is going on.
A top ten list has a way of making you keep scrolling/clicking to find out what’s next. Dogs are superior to cats, you say? I know this is true, but what makes them conclude this? Curiosity killed the cat—or at least made you keep reading ten reasons to see why cats are inferior.
9. Structure.
I’m not impulsive about everything being organized, but I can get on board with the idea that it is easier to digest information when it is split up into manageable pieces. Having ten separate bullets of text and small, spread out paragraphs through a piece can make it so much simpler to approach. This keeps you from getting overwhelmed and continuing through the top ten.
8. Ten is just enough.
If I am going to take time out of my busy schedule to see what celebrities would look like as the opposite gender, I don’t want to follow a link to just three or four pictures of A-listers, but I also don’t want to see the entire cast of Game of Thrones.
You have to find the right amount of content that will keep you engaged throughout the list without getting bored. In other words, you can’t get settled in for a road trip when it’s just down the block. Not sure if that applies to this, but it sounded wise nevertheless.
7. We live for countdowns.
One of the most well-known gatherings of humans every year is to celebrate New Year’s at midnight. It’s a holiday where we literally watch a ball move down a pedestal and a ten-second countdown is screamed in unison.
Why we get so excited for this I have no clue, but we sure do love to party on this night of countdown. If thousands of people will stand in Times Square shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers for a countdown, why wouldn’t thousands (or millions) of us click on an article doing the same thing?
6. Boredom is cured in many ways.
Sometimes we have time to kill in between our classes or appointments, and we need something to help fill the gap. Whether you look at top ten lists for enjoyment or purely as something to do while you’re on the pot, there’s always a time or place that top ten lists can fit into our lives and grant us brief entertainment
5. Comparisons are great conversation pieces.
I have seen countless rankings of top ten sports players, songs, movies, or anything else that can possibly be debated. Simple lists like these can spark a great conversation with friends or family, and you find yourself really invested in what the list was written about.
Whether you agree on the order or not, there’s always some criticism you can have on a list which leads you to build your own list in your mind.
4. Counting is fun.
They taught us how to do it at such a young age, but we can never get enough practice with counting. We count numbers in our classes or jobs all the time, so you might not want to spend your free time doing the same thing. But let’s get real: numbers are dope. 1? Yes. 2? Sure. 3? Absolutely. And don’t even get me started on number 4.
3. There are controversial picks.
A lot of times, people who create top-ten lists will put something on their list that stirs up their audience on purpose. Whether it be an overrated fruit or an underrated vegetable, people will get fired up about anything they believe is an injustice, especially if it’s in any sort of ranking or countdown. The whole idea is to get people to care about what your piece is about, and a lot of creators do so by saying something absolutely outlandish. Here, I’ll try: the best Disney movie of all time is Lion King. Change my mind.
2. The suspense leading up to #1.
You’ve made the journey all the way down the page or through all the tabs, but there still stands the final spot on the list. The best (or sometimes the worst) of the top ten lists are yet to come, and you think to yourself “I’ve come all this way, might as well ride it out and see the #1 tastiest mouthwash for when you accidentally swallow some”. Hey, I don’t blame you. That sounds pretty neat.
1. An anticlimactic finish.
Surely you didn’t think it was going to be that exciting, did you?
