Let’s face it, so many of us can say we have had, at some point in our lives, a form of addiction to Buzzfeed, especially when it comes to Buzzfeed quizzes. I mean, I can find out what kind of burger I’d be just by answering 10 questions about what random things I’d prefer? Sign me up!

Why is it that a site like Buzzfeed has gotten so popular and has become a form of procrastination for so many people? First of all, the information displayed on this site ranges from breaking news, to investigative journalism, to what’s hot in celebrity gossip, to “listicles” (information presented in the form of a list, such as “10 Things All Dog Owners Should Know”), to entertaining and short videos, to quizzes. The amount of diverse information is endless, but what makes it particularly enticing is how it is presented in a concise manner. The way Buzzfeed is able to relate and tailor its content directly to the user who does not have the patience to read a large article or who wants to find out more about oneself in an entertaining way has made this site so addictive. In particular, the quizzes can test one’s knowledge on a movie or a series of books, or can pinpoint certain aspects of one’s personality or what makes one special by answering fun questions about oneself. Particularly, for many adolescents who are going through a period of understanding oneself and self-discovery, this can be a fun and enticing tool, especially for students in 11th and 12th grade, which is when Buzzfeed starts to become popularly used.

In a classroom, one component that is constantly emphasized in the teaching pedagogy is having students share and relate information from their own lives with the content being learned in order to create a low affective filter and spike student-interest. In a foreign language classroom, this can be applied through the Buzzfeed quizzes. Depending on the level of the students, these quizzes can be used as opportunities to practice content from vocabulary understanding to reading comprehension, but it can be practiced in a fun way in which students result with information about themselves depending on their quiz choices. This final reading from the quiz (which can be up to a paragraph long), could also be used for students to debate whether it really does relate to their personality or why they think they received this result. Buzzfeed also has the option to create one’s own quizzes, giving teachers more control on quiz content. Students themselves can also create their own quizzes, which would be a neat way to give them a chance to create their own materials for their classmates to use.

Another aspect of Buzzfeed is the international presence it possesses, which has resulted in offering its viewers the option to view the Buzzfeed site based in different countries throughout the world. By choosing Buzzfeed Mexico, for example, information about current events and pop culture in Mexico appear, and all of the content is written in Spanish. For the Spanish language classroom, the options that can be used are Buzzfeed Mexico, Buzzfeed Spain and simply Buzzfeed in Spanish. This also allows adolescent students to experience a site they are so used to using through the eyes of a Spanish-speaker, as well as relate their own lives, interests and experiences to those in other countries.

Although there are many diverse and unique ways to use Buzzfeed in the Spanish classroom, it is important to keep in mind that certain Spanish-speaking countries can be far more represented than others on the site. Additionally, since it is a site based in the United States, there is quite a bit of information focused on pop culture centered around American ideals, which can result in promoting stereotypes. There is also a high chance students can get distracted due to all of the diverse, and many times silly, information present on the site. Although it has its downfalls, as long as Buzzfeed is being used in a productive way and with a critical eye, the information and tools can be used to stimulate foreign language practice (writing, reading, speaking and listening), creativity and cultural exposure.