For the Love of Language, Stop Abusing Subheadings

Why we should resist the TikTokification of the written word

Photo by Sergey Zolkin on Unsplash

In my time as an editor, there’s a pattern that I’ve watched crop up more and more as the years have gone by. Put simply, it’s the unnecessary inclusion of subheadings. Many editors actually advise incorporating these partitions into our writing.

The instruction isn’t totally senseless. There are pieces where these additions can be helpful. Occasionally I see a real use in this mechanism for separating disparate ideas. Sometimes, the concepts in a story feel so discordant that it’s hard to erect an elegant bridge between them.

Subheadings aren’t devoid of utility. Some editors encourage them not because they think readers are dumb, but because they want to maximize accessibility. They offer clear entry points, SEO friendliness, and structure for distracted readers. Especially in certain nonfiction, subheadings don’t serve as fluff, but as integral signposts. Long explainers, guides, technical essays, and dense political texts are often served well by subdivisions.

When I’ve written instructional pieces, the concepts explored have sometimes been too varied to cohere without a few subheadings. But more often than not, the accessibility and SEO benefits that people chase come at the…