The latest trend to hit the internet are blogs. MySpace, MSN, and Xangas all crowd the web with journals representing individuals’ personal reflections and opinions on issues. These ‘Weblogs’ allow their users to frequently, and effortlessly publish their personal thoughts.
People of all ages now have their own blogs, and blogging itself has become an ever increasingly popular form of publication.
What inspires a person to write a blog, for no money, and possibly no readers at all? Why have they become so fashionable?
I believe that blogs are a great tool for communicating with friends, in a public, yet personal way. This unique method provides everyone the opportunity to express themselves freely, and in my opinion, is the reason why they have become so popular.
Blogs give their author the freedom to show their own sorrows, and triumphs to anyone and everyone. They allow us all to tell our own individual stories, and in my opinion, can be fascinating.
However, some people have the view that blogging is merely ‘vanity publishing’, or ‘attention seeking’! They believe blogs have no purpose other than to satisfy the author. This doesn’t stand up however when you consider weblogs aren’t guaranteed an audience.
Talking to friends this week I got a very good impression of why people, especially young people, use blogs. They allow the author to unload their mind and this itself can be therapeutic. Young people learn to express themselves informally; they get to share ideas and opinions and other people get the chance to delve inside the minds of their peers.
Maybe blogging is nothing less than clutter on our internet, but I believe it is something more; essentially blogging could be considered the new online shrink – but the good news is it is available on a 24 hour basis!
About the team
This story was written by David McReynolds and edited by Rebecca Burns. It was published by Reach for the Sky website.
