A Blog About Blogs
February 19, 2018 |
Today I am going to explore the topic of blogs. Interesting? Maybe not at first but here you are reading my blog, which piqued my curiosity as to why? andquot;Bloggingandquot; is a web-based form of communication that is rapidly becoming mainstream. Blogs are becoming/already are a huge part of today's society. So, why are people writing about blogs? What keeps us coming back to read blogs?
First things first, what is a blog? Blogs can be defined as frequently updated, reverse-chronological entries on a single webpage. While there are many and varying types of blogs (mommy blogs, travel blogs, cooking blogs, etc.), here I plan to focus on personal blogs Authors of public blogs use this place to write about their days, feelings, confessions, etc. As someone who rarely reads blogs, unless coming across one by accident, I was interested to explore why people are writing about their lives but also why people care so much to even read it.
Bloggers are driven to document their lives, provide commentary and opinions, express deeply felt emotions, articulate ideas through writing, and form and maintain community forums. So in a way, personal blogging is just like a published and exposed diary. This means that personal blogging, like writing one's own diary, is a way of personal communication and expression. When it comes to the motivation with personal blogs it includes a specific interest that drives individuals to establish and consistently maintain a blog. One motivation behind a personal blog, is that it is a way to document one's life. This type is beneficial, for example, for someone who has moved away and wants to keep record of their new life while keeping family and friends in the loop. Another motivation is that of blogs being a space to release emotions or thoughts. Blogging can act as a safe place to work out personal issues. Personal blogs are a way to surface fears and get a deeper insight of undiscovered potentials. People can be using blogs to let everything out there in the open. A type of way dealing with issues through writing rather than thinking.
The motivations for writing blogs are connected to the motivations for reading blogs. People who are reading personal blogs are using this as a place of comfort to know that they are not alone when facing an issue or problem in their life. These types of blogs can be a helpful tool for people who cannot put into words what they are feeling so they have personal blogs do it for them. I related this to listening to a song and feeling that song on a personal level. When going through a break up, what artist do people turn to to put their emotions into lyrics? Taylor Swift, obviously. Putting what you are feeling into the words you can't think of to be able to deal with those emotions and feel as if you aren't alone in feeling them provides comfort.
But there is more of a positive conclusion as well. People reading personal blogs like to feel normal; if their emotions/issues are common to others then the personal blogs will normalize them. This relates to blogs of everyday people, not famous actors, singers, etc. but instead real people who have real stories that involve the good, the bad, and some are inspiring or just happy. When it comes to the inspiration, it can be small or large. For example, a book could have been mentioned in a personal blog that the reader, who is sharing the same interests as the author, may be inspired to read. A larger example could be an author discussing how hiking a mountain changed him/her for the better which may lead a reader down the same path.
In addition to the positivity of reading personal blogs, people read this type of blog to connect to other people, connect through engagement by comments, subscriptions, likes, and more. Being able to agree with others is socially satisfying and this can be done through a digital space.
Finally, people may read personal blogs just out of general curiosity of what other people are doing, fascinated by different perspectives from different or similar lifestyles. Some are just intrigued by others' lives and way of going about their daily routine.
The reasons range from personally struggling and all the way to just looking for a good read to connect or engage with others. These interesting motivations that seem almost endless as to why people are intrigued with personal blogs and so this makes me wonder the endless reasons as to why people are reading different blogs topics as well.