“That was a waste of my time”

“Im never getting those five minutes of my life back”

“I feel dumber for reading this”

You have probably experienced these frustrations after clicking on an article online. In fact, you felt manipulated because the topic of the article didn’t match the content. You felt your guts curl in disgust because the article was written with a particular bile and bias which could end up distorting your whole day.

What mistakes should you avoid when looking for a great blog to read online?

1. A sensational headline. If a headline has an exaggerated topic, chances are it will be disappointing. Fun fact, did you know that airline crashes are so rare, in fact its like 1 in 100 flights that crash but when one happens, it can dominate the headlines for a whole year? On the other hand, car crashes happen every day but the misleading headline will make you fear an airplane more than a matatu which may randomly crash in traffic even now. Remember those stories of “Cheating husband stuck to clande” which had no evidence? Avoid those.
2. Have anonymous authors. There is nothing that says fake article more than having an anonymous writer. Having an anonymous writer is a way of escaping accountability.
3. Has a sexually revealing picture. It’s a fact that we all love attractive images. They draw our attention. Remember how clubs use images of Rihanna to make us go for events just for there to be Ray Anna Atienos in abundance? Don’t believe what you see.
4. They offer a magical and instant result. “Lose weight by eating this chicken in one week”. Quick result headlines are the pyramid schemes of blogposts. Good things are worth the wait. Hio slim tea ni uwongo!!
5. Is slandering another individual. Nothing says ‘Bile’ like inaccurate news that just seeks to belittle an individual and ruin a reputation just to get attention. If you ever see someone targeting another individual in a hateful manner and is not evidence based, just save your precious time.
6. Is talking about themselves. Blogging has become a pastime for many. In fact, those guys who used to write four page compositions have probably started one. Most blogs have now become diaries. ‘What I ate yesterday’, ‘OMG I just farted’, ‘Avocado is disgusting’. These bloggers don’t really care about you the reader. Wachana nao!
7. Political propaganda. These guys have an agenda that’s never good and have probably been paid by a politician to promote some image. We all know that political guys shift agendas to where the money is.

Bottom line, avoid reading the blogs that don’t do much to educate, inform or entertain you. Read more Mpasho articles for your daily dose of great content.

Subscribe to our newsletter today and be sure to turn on the notifications on your browser.