In efforts to be a better mother, overcome my computer obsession, and finish a few books I've been trying to read, I have been spending less time blogging. I find myself wondering "why blog?" I love the blogging world and will continue to do it. I'm just trying to delve into why I do it.
I find myself sometimes not posting things because I think they will be boring or because they are too personal. I try to create posts that lend towards more comments and when people don't comment, I actually feel disappointed! But when I began blogging, comments were not what I was going for. I wanted it to be a way to keep in touch with family and friends (from the 7 different places I've lived...not to mention over twelve wards). I'm not that great at emailing and I thought it would be a wonderful way for people to look in our lives without me filling their email boxes with large picture files, etc.
A few months ago, two of my friends confessed that they don't like the blogging world because it creates one more medium in which to compare your life with the life of your friends (or your friends' friends!). They also expressed the feeling that you can only blog the good things that happen to you, painting the picture of a perfect life. Although my mentality is different than theirs, I find myself wondering "why blog?"
Why do you blog? What satisfaction to you gain? Do you define your self worth (or at least the worth of your words) by how many comments you receive? How do you not spend too much time on the internet while your darling one year old is trying to get your attention? (Gotta run...)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
To Blog or Not To Blog?
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Julie,
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts! I can't really say much since I myself don't blog but let my husband do it. But the reason I keep up with the blog is just what you stated. It is really a great way to stay connected with my friends and family. It is overwhelming to think of trying to email each friend and let them know I am thinking about them...which I am. This way I can read up on how things are and comment to let them know I care. It can be overwhelming to keep track of blogs but I enjoy the FEW MINUTES of personal time I can use to keep up with my friends. We have moved enough that it is really important to me!
~Kim
I blog for purely selfish reasons. It is really for myself because I am not good at keeping a journal anymore! I blog about whatever strikes my fancy and don't really worry about what others think about it - since I know it's for me.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading them also and google reader has saved me sooo much time!
What a thought provoking post. I have to say, I kind of blog because everyone else does. We also have NO family where we live and to keep up with them on a daily or even weekly basis is nearly impossible. It's kinda sad in a way that I can actually, for instance, see what you are up to with out even talking or communicating with you. It definitely doesn't make for extended friendships because you just sort of glimpse into their lives while they don't even know it. I also do it for journaling purposes. I don't keep a journal and to look back at little stories and pictures of my kids helps me a lot. I plan to make my blog into a book about once a year or two or something. Anyways, those are my reasons, and it's something to do, too. Sure love your blog. I look at it more than you know! Maybe after this darned pregnancy is over (I really am excited) I'll give you a call and actually talk to you! Sure love ya!
ReplyDeleteMy blog is a way to journal the happenings of our family. I copy my posts into word docs and save them. My entire family doesn't live close, so it's also a way to keep in closer touch with them in the simplest way possible. Plus, like you, I've lived all over the place and have friends scattered across the country. It's a great way to keep in touch with those people too. I love reading other people's blogs and knowing that my life and it's challenges are similar to what other people are going thru. It's another way to hang with the girlfriends! :)
ReplyDeleteI blog, because I enjoy it. It is a great way to keep in touch with my family and friends (since I've lived in 4 different states). I get a lot of ideas from other bloggers, and I love to read about how other moms deal with life, and know that I am not alone.
ReplyDeleteI don't care how many comments I get or how many people read my blog. I know I am not a fabulous writer, I don't expect people to read my blog because I have something fabulous to say. I don't compare my writing to others. My blog is more of a public journal. I include the boring stuff as well as the fun stuff.
Julie, I really enjoyed your food for thought. I have enjoyed blogging since it is the only way I keep in touch with friends I would have lost contact with. I have enjoyed seeing your little family and reading all your posts. For me blogging is a way for me to keep a journal of our photos and to keep our family up on our kids. So keep up the good job and keep posting your thought provoking ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you've finally moved away from those "comment generating" blog posts. :) So, I blog(or I used to blog) to keep in touch with friends and family and that is why I read blogs. And you can tell your friends to read my blog if they want to feel better about their life. Other than my soon to be created "My Husband Graduated Before Your Husband" clebratory post (shortly followed by the "Ha, Ha It Was All A Big Joke Because He Still Has To Pass The Bar Exam"), I am usually writing about my not even close to perfect life.
ReplyDeleteAs far as comments on my blog being tied to my self worth, well it doesn't effect me. My self worth is directly tied to the number of friends I have on Good Reads compared to the number of friends you have. My self worth is pretty low. :)
Oh! You also asked about what sort of satifaction I gain. The only satifaction I get is that I am giving the grandparents some sort of glimpse into their grandchildrens life. Then I don't feel so guilty about not calling, writing or visiting.
I'm just going to avoid that last question.
Why do I blog? Good question. I think it's a good way to keep up with family and friends (I read more than I write, I think) and it's a good way to "publish" your random thoughts and a good outlet to vent (if necessary). I am not good at the emailing thing but am trying to get better at calling/writing. I think blogging may be a way for me to feel like I'm in touch with people, even when most likely the people I need to be in touch with aren't reading it. I've never been the best writer, so I can get a little self-conscious, but I try not to let that bother me. I've never been much of a journal keeper, but this helps. It also helps me to take more pictures, since I've never been much of a picture taker. I think having a blog to put them on makes me feel like the exciting things I do are more worthy of pictures (living with your dad and Mel for all these years means I haven't needed to take a camera anywhere). Believe me, I'm sure my blog is very boring and I try to make it more exciting for those who could be reading it (after all, my life really isn't all that interesting or exciting - it's pretty "normal" if there is such a word). It could be that blogging about all the interesting things makes me realize that my life is more exciting than I think it is when I'm going through the daily grind. Who knows...?
ReplyDeleteI don't let the number of comments define my self worth -- I don't think too many people read my blog and that's fine. I have family and friends who care about me and that is what matters to me. I appreciate all your comments -- you're my regular!! Although, I do know some people who care about the number of comments they get and I can see where it can happen. I've really never let that kind of thing get to me, and even when it starts to, I try very hard to not let it. So far, I'm succeeding.
As for the third question, I have no one year old, so you're on your own! :) Now that I've written a novel of a comment and read it over and over to not make a fool of myself, I guess it's time to click publish.
Miss you...call me anytime!!
I have had a blog for over a year and a half and I think it's been working great for me! I have family all over the world and really, this is the best way for them to see what's going on with my family!(Considering I haven't been back to Europe in 11 years now!)
ReplyDeleteThe blog also serves as a family photo journal. It's a good way to organize pictures and keep a reccord of our family activities and stuff!
I also like to see what's going on with my friends! It's not the same as calling them, but a quick comment on their blog shows them that I care and think about them from time to time.
As you said, the important thing is to find a balance, and as with all things we enjoy doing, to not let it interfere with our duties as a wife and mother, which should take priority.
I would be lying if I said I didn't care about comments--they are so validating! My motivation changes all the time, and I too question the purpose of the blog in my life. Sometimes I feel the need to entertain "my public." Sometimes I am just updating friends and family. Sometimes I vent, need advice, or just want to put my human-ness, flaws and all, out there for others to relate to. Sometimes I am unwilling to post a bad picture of myself, and sometimes I don't care and just want to preserve a moment for what it was. I enjoy writing and sometimes do it to entertain myself. It's interesting at different stages my posts have been more or less entertaining, creative, depressing, boring, all about my kid, etc. I like that I can stay in touch with so many friends and family. I've never felt threatened by the perfect picture people paint--maybe none of my acquaintances paint perfect pictures, I dunno. Sorry such a long comment, there really is no conclusion to my thoughts...just thinking out loud.
ReplyDeleteWho doesn't love to get fun comments! However, I blog mainly for relatives that do not live by us. That way they get the opportunity to see what is going on in our lives.
ReplyDeletei have had to learn how to balance the blog in my life. The main thing that I like about my blog is that I am finally writing some type of a family journal. I often wonder if the people that I am really writing it for (family members) even see it. But I enjoy going back and looking at the pictures and the things that have happened....so, I guess that counts.
ReplyDeleteComments are fun to get and I do enjoy getting them, but I am trying to remember that I didn't start my blog just to get comments.
Tonight, blogging is my preference to laying in bed wondering why I am not tired and can't sleep. :)
I think people can read way to much into blogs. A blog can be whatever you want it to be. I tend to blog about not only my family, but also my moods. I'm a fairly open person and it's okay for me to posts things that might not be flattering for me because I'm human and it's all part of what make me who I am. I've never looked at anyone;s blog and felt like I've wanted their life or that's it's perfect. I just love seeing how everyone's doing. I also like to blog because it's a type of journal and scrap book for me and it's very easy and requires very little effort. You should blog for your own reasons, no one elses. I just hope by sharing all this with you, you'll feel like your just as normal and human as the rest of us. I love your blog and your outlook on life!! I hope you'll keep blogging, but if you don't that's okay too!
ReplyDeleteI was just going to post about this, since I'm coming up on my blog-anniversary (3 years!). I started blogging as a means of self-expression, with the side effect of staying in touch with people. We started a separate blog for our kids that is more about our family, and mine is just about me and my thoughts and feelings. Blogging has also spurred me to spend more time writing in my real journal; during the last year I've made more of an effort to write the personal things down there. I feel like my posts are become more well-crafted since I've done that. I will admit that I like comments and that I often have my audience in mind when I write :) It does take self-control to not let blogging (reading others' and writing) start taking over my life; I really only have the time when my kids are sleeping, so it's not a lot. I can tell when I'm getting more "addicted" to the computer and I need to cut back.
ReplyDeletevery good post. i do it to keep in touch, keep a portion of a journal (i've started another blog on tyler's medical stuff too), and becuase it's fun.
ReplyDeleteBut, i'm addicted. I think I need to put a time by the computer and set a limit for myself sometimes!
I blog because my fans insist upon it.
ReplyDeleteI blog so that our faraway friends and family can keep up with our happenings. I have since found blurb.com...it has compiled my blog and bound it into a book for journaling purposes. I love it!!
ReplyDelete