Sometimes Stumbling, Tumbling and Facebook just don’t cut it. Occasionally, it’s nice to go online for something slightly more intellectual than “liking” pictures from your friend’s drunken birthday weekend or engaging in the Internet equivalent of channel surfing.
Luckily, it isn’t hard to turn the alarming proportion of our lives spent online into something less idle with websites like these five that offer stories on news and culture with a refreshing, sharp delivery.
Slate.com
Why it’s good: Slate’s been around since most people reading this site were running around the playground rocking light-up L.A. Gears, but in all that time the site has managed to stay relevant and punchy. As a magazine that was born online, Slate writers focus on everything from personal essays and politics to the arts, technology, and culture (in the “Life” section) without losing their trademark tone that toes the line between intellectual and comedic.
Jezebel.com
Why it’s good: A refreshing take on women’s media, Jezebel discusses culture, entertainment, sex, and politics without the vapid gloss of more popular magazines for women. Jezebel’s style is that of quick quips and informed commentary on anything and everything relevant, from the latest celebrity tweets to legal propositions that affect the status of women’s reproductive options.
Complex.com
Why it’s good: The web counterpart to one of the few urban lifestyle magazines still in print, Complex.com is the go-to guide to the look and way of living embodied by power players like Jay-Z and Kanye to the young & fly like A$AP Rocky and Kid Cudi. It may be a men’s magazine – the site’s tagline is direct in reading “Style, Music, Sneakers, Entertainment, Girls, Technology” – but anyone with an interest in music or urban style (that means you, sneaker freaks) would appreciate the niche humor and sophisticated cool that Complex runs on.
HuffingtonPost.com
Why it’s good: If you haven’t read the Huffington Post before, rest assured that it’s definitely more than politics. While they have a heavy focus on the news, the site reports current events with a succinct, editorial voice and also has huge sections devoted to entertainment, life and style, comedy and college (for us youngsters). Although the site has caught a bit of heat for its approach to aggregating articles from around the Internet, there is so much to read on HuffPo that it’s a good daily read.
Buzzfeed.com
Why it’s good: With an awareness of social media and the value of share-ability, Buzzfeed.com offers viral content from all over the web that ranges from geeky to news-worthy, all with a pointed goal of staying funny. The inclusion of photo stories and link-riddled articles is addictive, but still includes a focus on current events, as goofy as the site is.
