The first time I took a Buzzfeed quiz was probably on Facebook several years ago as a part of one of those relevant, but oddly familiar ads that pops up on my timeline. A couple of years later, my friends were taking one of the quizzes; it was about a TV show we all liked. We got to learn which characters we were, according to the quiz, of course.
After that, I downloaded the app and was hooked on the quizzes for probably an hour straight. They are definitely an entertaining way to pass the time. You can take trivia quizzes to see how much you know about various topics, which seem to be the more accurate quizzes, if you like accuracy. Buzzfeed also has quizzes that give you the chance to vote on different choices and see how you compare to thousands of others who have answered the same questions. These are interesting, especially if you’re into a specific topic. For example, Buzzfeed has a quiz called “Would You Rather: Pie Edition.” So when I make the tough decision to pick pumpkin over sweet potato, then I get to see the number of fellow pumpkin pie lovers I have. In all, these polling quizzes are great for getting some fun stats; but I probably wouldn’t cite them in your college papers.
While those types of quizzes are great, the ones that really interest me are the quizzes that give you results which tell you made-up things about yourself based on the answers you provide. These can be funny quizzes. For example, today, sticking with the Thanksgiving theme, I took one called “Can We Guess Which Decade Of Life You’re In Based On Your Thanksgiving Food Preferences?” According to this quiz, I’m in my thirties. The results were a decade ahead; but, hey, after taking all of those Thanksgiving quizzes, I did feel hungry for some stuffing and sweet potato casserole. Thus, Buzzfeed quizzes of this type should not be taken too seriously.
With that said, some of the quizzes claim to predict the number of children you will have or your relationship status. The problem is that it would be ridiculous, speaking from a position of research methods, for a quiz to predict, for instance, when you’ll get married based on the random objects you select. What’s even more out there is that some quizzes that suggest they predict the same concept provide you with different results. This acts as evidence that these quizzes are not scientific in nature; the results often appear random and disconnected from the answers.
Buzzfeed quizzes are a fun way to feel more connected to your favorite TV show characters or to get into the holiday spirit. But hopefully, no one is taking them too seriously, especially when these quizzes proudly claim to predict details about someone’s personal life.