10 things I learned from Thought Catalog

When I had just started at my job, it was inevitable that there were days where I had to pretend like I was doing something important. For days like those, and because too much Facebook is unhealthy, I would resort to reading Thought Catalog.

Thought Catalog (thoughtcatalog.com) is an online magazine of sorts, with a collective of non-fiction, mostly tackling “relevant and relatable issues of culture.” It has a clean layout that didn’t give me away, and no uncomfortable pictures from last night’s party.

The dynamic of Thought Catalog is simple: it’s open for the public to submit stories, and the topics are usually geared to spark discourse. They said so themselves, “the future of journalism,” but please take note the sarcastic undertone. Thought Catalog is to be taken lightly.

Still, Thought Catalog has sort of become the bible of this generation. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t see a Thought Catalog retweet (hashtag: ouch) from someone who’s read the cold, hard truth from the TC. Thought Catalog is like that all-knowing best friend who knew the most interesting things to say. Things that were not just conventionally expected, but really made you think. 

“Getting drunk, getting hurt, falling in love and finding a job”? If not for the “job” part, Thought Catalog might be all over Lindsay Lohan.

If you’ve never dropped by this generation’s Reader’s Digest, allow me to share the lowdown with you. Here’s a summary of things that I learned from Thought Catalog:

1. Lists are the new narrative. It seems to really drive the point better when you enumerate your ideas into bullets. It also gives the reader easier judgment on whether to stay or flake reading the article because number two…

2. This generation has some ADHD issues.

3. Twenty-five is the new deadline in life. Everyone seems to think that if you haven’t done a certain number of things in your life by the time you are twenty-five, then you are going to grow up sorry and lost. But really, we know the real reason why twenty-five is the new deadline… damn you, Mark Zuckerberg.

Damn you, Mark Zuckerberg.

4. It’s definitely possible that twentysomethings are the only people who both a) write about themselves, and b) read about themselves more than anyone else in this society. It’s a narcissistic generation, but at least we’re good at list-making? Damn you, Mark Zuckerberg.

5. Getting drunk, getting hurt, falling in love and finding a job are the only truths that you should be concerned with.

6. Employment is cool. It’s just as cool as unemployment. They both have pros and cons and Thought Catalog has been pretty neutral about this. In fact, Thought Catalog is pretty neutral about most things.

7. Your unrequited love is pathetic, also because it makes for corny writing. Seriously, move on.

8. Writing in the second person builds a stronger connection between the reader and the author. It’s like listening to the voices at the back of your head reaffirm everything you already know.

9.The future in Thought Catalog is hazy because we have no concrete idea of what happens after you hit 30.

10. Thought Catalog will grow up when we all do.