How Sites Like Buzzfeed Can Steal Your Sabbath

Photo by Mike Licht

So I noticed something the other day.

I spent part of my Sunday surfing around on good old Facebook. And then I realized it was stressing me out.

I was using Facebook as a way to relax...you know, because it's supposed to be relaxing to glide around the internet, sightseeing at your own pace.

But that's not what happened at all. Instead, one of those obnoxious magnetic headlines drew me in. It said something like "This is how we know we still have a problem in America." And its sole purpose was to make me furious.

Not exactly the emotional state I was planning for my day of rest.

Have you ever had a day off that somehow inexplicably wore you out just as much as a normal work day?

It's most likely because you had no peace. 

And Facebook may be one of the culprits.

If you ever get on Facebook, you know the articles I'm talking about—the ones with the headlines that say something like "A woman feeds a bear with her head, and what happens next is not surprising...I can't believe this is allowed to be on the internet!!!"

Here's a secret: the people who put out those "clickbait" headlines are using your emotions to make money.

For my content marketing job, I've been doing a lot of studying into why people share things online. Would you like to know what makes people share things?

The Buzzfeed "Provoke the Reader" Formula

Let me tell you what sites like Buzzfeed are doing to you.

In the book Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reported a study that suggested when your heart rate goes up, you're more likely to share something on social media.

So...these sites' main goal is to get you to experience an emotion that makes your heart rate rise.

Emotions like:

• Anger
• Stress
• Astonishment
• Fear
• Humor 

Because if they can get you to feel one of those, you'll share it more often.

But...aside from humor, those emotions aren't very restful, are they? Buzzfeed isn't overly concerned about you getting the rest you need, are they? If you're like me, you almost never come away from Facebook feeling "rested."

Don't Let Social Media Steal Your Rest Day

People need legitimate rest in order to recharge. Once a week. It's how we were made. Our souls have to take a break from stress, work, and frustration.

For me, provoking social media articles are often the thieves who steal my rest. And it's been so subtle, I haven't realized it until now.

So, if you've been feeling run down, like your rest days haven't been rest days—keep a close eye on the articles you choose to read during your Sabbath. Are they designed to bring you away from a state of rest, so you'll do what they want you to do—share the article?

Be careful on your day of rest. Buzzfeed can take it from you.

Mark 2:27 - "Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath."