Blogging as a Social Act vs. for Social Good
Image by Stephanie Booth via Flickr
For those of us in the blogosphere, it is no secret that blogging is a social action. We may say we write for ourselves only, and that may be true to some extent. We may not care what other people say about our blogs, but we do hope someone says something about it. After all, isn’t that what we publish our writings for – to be noticed in some way? We love getting comments and checking blog stats and passing along good information from each other. I know I do.
I was reading a very interesting article about blogging as a social action (by Miller and Shepherd – I’d post it if it didn’t violate copyright laws). Although the article seemed a little dated, it made a few interesting points. I did, however, get the sense from the article that the authors thought that blogging was voyeuristic and a little bit self-centered. I know when I first started blogging back in undergrad, this was definitely the case. My blog was solely to update friends and family about my life. I wrote about me and me only.
Now, however, I have been welcomed wholeheartedly into what I like to call the feminist blogging community. I feel as if blogging for social good as opposed to simply as a social act is a relatively recent phenomenon (or maybe I’m just new to the scene). The writings I read from within the feminist blogging community are certainly personal, but I don’t feel like a voyeur reading them. I feel more like you’ve shared stories with a point that may help your audience think deeper about a situation.
I wonder how you all feel about blogging. Is it simply a social act? Are we a bunch of women (and men) hanging around a water-cooler swapping stories? Or is it for social good? Are we really getting out there and opening the eyes of our audiences and promoting discussions that will help change our world?
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Part of the reason that I blog at all is to initiate conversation and dialogue, and I actually started writing my blog with that objective in mind. Admittedly (and sadly), this doesn’t always work out — I know that some of what I write has never been read, and I have to ask myself whether it’s worth blogging at all if no one else is reading, or if people are reading but not responding.
With that said, I’ve seen at least a little back-and-forth in the comment fields. It’s easy to think that a blog is just a series of posts, but it’s really a series of posts with other people’s comments — it’s a conversation, not a monologue. (And that’s actually the reason why I commented here to your post instead of relecting on your post via my own blog.) In any case, when that conversation actually *does* take place, I find it refreshing, if only because I can exchange thoughts and ideas with so many other people from all walks of life and from all over the world.
At the same time, though, I blog because it’s a personal catharsis. I’m not necessarily trying to let go of anything or work out unresolved issues. But writing about what I’m thinking or reading or observing does a lot to help me understand myself, my world, and other people.
Even if blogging is the digital equivalent of swapping stories at the water cooler (to borrow your metaphor), I think it still has social merit. Having worked in a variety of professional environments, I’ll attest to how those meaningful and important those water cooler conversations can be.
Very well said, Christopher. I think that it is a little bit of both – at least for me. That’s what I try to strive for anyway …
Love your blog, BTW!
Thank you so much! Love your blog, too. 🙂
I think blogging can be a very valuable form of activism if that’s what you want it to be. I wrote all about it on my blog the other day, so I shan’t repeat myself and clog up your comments.
@Christopher and @Melissa – and I love BOTH of your blogs! 🙂 Christopher did say it very well, didn’t he? I happen to agree, but it was strange to read that article and think that some people don’t feel that way.
@Chally – great post on your blog. I’d love to cross-post it over here if that would be OK with you.
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