5 Best, Top 10, ONLY Nonsense

Hello, again, blogosphere!  I haven't been here in quite some time and I'm feeling the need to get back on this blogging train.  After a long summer working in Alaska and working through some family issues, I have been resting and relaxing at my sister's home.  She and I have a tendency to get into deep conversations involving society, politics and life in general.  I have also had ample time to scroll through Pinterest and Google+, which brings me to the topic I am feeling most passionate about lately.

As a writer pursuing a career in journalism, I find myself ignoring job applications for writers who report on search engine focused articles.  I am bombarded with articles like '10 Best Yoga Poses' and 'Top 10 Restaurants in New York' and (my personal favorite) 'Best Camping Hacks for Women'.  One article about the "best" healthy food choices will send you on a website scavenger hunt for articles that declare the exact same thing, but boasting different, increasingly alluring headlines.  And don't get me started on the "for women" articles, because unless you're telling me how to insert a diva cup, your content is probably relevant to people.  Everything is click bait.  I refuse to write these types of pieces because, quite honestly, I am no expert on your favorite Korean BBQ or what exercises work for your body.  Calling this type of writing "journalism" makes me cringe.  Every journalism course I have ever taken pounded the idea into my head that our craft stood for unbiased reporting and opinion pieces were an entirely different animal.  Thus, if I have an opinion, it is posted here, on my blog.

We live in a world permeated with the Internet.  The amount of times that I have seen that one thing or another is the "best" makes me wonder, whose best?  I would rather see "So-and-so's Favorite Coffee Shop" than be subjected to the opinion that there is a single best coffee shop in the world.

So, I challenge you, the Internet prowler, to stop buying in to the rating system that our online world insists is universal.  Spend your time on something meaningful to yourself, rather than the random freelance writer's opinion of your favorite things.  There really is no best quote or top salon.  As individuals, we all have opinions of our very own.  We have unique tastes and distinct likes and dislikes, and no Internet list is going to change that.  Go out into the world and discover your very own favorite hiking trail or Sunday brunch spot.  Take some time to remember that you were born with the ability to freely choose, so close those tabs, shut your laptop and go curate your own list of bests and favorites.