Bloggers are Lonely

Comments 4 by Rebecca Bollwitt Wednesday, January 31st, 2007 — 3:39pm PST

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My co-worker just sent me a link to an article talking about a book by a U of C professor.

Michael Keren, who has written “Blogosphere: The New Political Arena,” suggests individuals who bare their souls in blogs are isolated and lonely, living in a virtual reality instead of forming real relationships or helping to change the world.

“Bloggers think of themselves as rebels against mainstream society, but that rebellion is mostly confined to cyberspace, which makes blogging as melancholic and illusionary as Don Quixote tilting at windmills,” the author says.

I could start ranting, but seriously what’s the point? We all know why each of us blog, we all have our reasons. Be it personal, informative, geeky, literary, or just for the sake of tapping your fingers on a keyboard and publishing the result for the world to see.

I must admit though, I’m not completely transparent on my blog, I don’t go into details if I’ve had a bad day (except maybe when it has to do with a certain Credit Union) but that’s just me. That could say something about me, I could read into it, but… meh, I don’t really want to.

Keren praises the Internet as a great place for self-expression, but he also suggests that blogs often have the opposite effect by creating feelings of loneliness for those who aren’t lucky enough to reach “celebrity” status.

There are some people out there who are blogging to get recognized, but I’m sure there’s an equal amount of people who do it just to say something, share, and to have an outlet regardless of Technorati ranking or ‘blogebrity’ status.

For all we know this dude could be writing a book just to create a buzz. Maybe he knows if people blog about it he’s succeeded, whether it’s created a positive or negative review. Who knows, maybe we’ll all get the book and read it and it’ll become an Amazon best seller (regardless if its better purpose is that of a paperweight or not). Will he be upset if it doesn’t become popular?

We’re all entitled to our opinions, and I suppose this author is as well. Only thing is, I think he’ll just make more money off his, than I will mine.

4 Comments — Comments Are Closed

FlashWednesday, January 31st, 2007 — 6:02pm PST
Maybe the people who both blog AND are willing to be studied are lonely….
GZ ExpatWednesday, January 31st, 2007 — 11:40pm PST
Agreed…if I mentioned all the junk I go through at work, my blog would be boring…and I’d probably get fired. I try and keep mine to things going on around me…or with the family…and with things that interest me. Work is work…my life is not work.

The premise that bloggers are boring is also the old ‘bloggers are people just sitting around in their pajamas on their laptops.” Hence, the creation of Pajamas Media.

I preferred Hugh Hewitt’s book, BLOG. His analogies to the invention of the printing press and the protestant reformation were interesting and revealing.
superfunkomaticThursday, February 1st, 2007 — 8:43am PST
i think people are easily led astray and misinformed about the purpose of blogging. i disagree that it’s lonely people, i think it’s people that just want to share common experiences and knowledge. some of what we write is fluff and just for fun, but opinions and feelings may help someone deal with a similar situation. i think blogs let people know they are not alone and that we all have common experiences.
NicoleSaturday, April 4th, 2009 — 2:45pm PDT
I think modern-day blogging is just a different manifestation of good old journaling. There’s something to be said for introspective reflection and taking that and applying it to external issues. It’s healthy, a kind of meditation, and just because the author of said book can go read blogs because ppl are now publishing their personal journals online doesn’t mean that he has the right to generalize (in my opinion). You were smart to coin and trademark the Miss604 name which is catchy and specific and this helps your brand. You are married, and many people do not need much more than a spouse/best friend to feel fulfilled on a social level. You constantly refer to friendships with Kiera-Anne and others, and you make a living from chronicling social events and social issues. Even if you are shy, Miss604, I don’t think you are lonely. I think you are another l-word: loved.

Even if some people who blog ARE lonely, good on the lonely people for finding a medium to alleviate their lack of social contact, and who cares if it’s not actually face-to-face. I know some people who have severe social anxiety and agoraphobia and depression, and blogging is a way for them to keep in touch with the world on a comfortable level. Keep doing what you’re doing as long as it is what you love. And excuse me, but how is writing and publishing a book that much different from writing and publishing a blog? All I see is about 6 levels of editing and filtration before opinion is communicated in a book, and that’s why I prefer blogging: it cuts through all the bullshit and makes the author available to their audience.