The internet is a fantastic place to connect with other people. The hyperconnectivity of the online space makes it easier than ever to find similar people, share your thoughts, and open up a discussion.
This is part of what makes social media so popular. These platforms offer quick and easy glimpses into the lives of other people, allowing us to connect and communicate with them from anywhere and at any time.
But while social media gets the majority of attention these days, it isn’t the only way the internet allows us to connect. In fact, its brief and transitory nature means, in many ways, it’s not ideal for deeper connections or exchanges.
That deep engagement and understanding still belong to blogs.
Why Blogging Still Matters
Blogging is still relevant because it fulfills a very important role in our society. It allows for in-depth exploration and explanation on whatever topic someone may write about.
Social media is wonderful. It allows us to stay in contact and check in on hundreds or thousands of people in the span of a few hours.
But that sheer volume also means we’re less engaged with it. We don’t really spend time thinking about what someone says on Twitter or Instagram. We see it, form a quick judgment, then scroll on.
Even if we did spend long periods of time trying to engage with social media content in a deep and thoughtful way, the platforms just aren’t designed for that in most cases.
The layout of these apps and websites is designed to make content easy to consume. That means short and simple. The goal is to show you as many flashy things as possible so that you keep scrolling.
Blogs are built very differently. The whole layout of a blog encourages more thoughtful engagement and consumption.
Blogs aren’t in competition with social media. They aren’t trying to do the same thing. Rather, blogs have merits that are uniquely theirs. They help you learn about complex things and give you the chance to truly understand a person’s position on a topic.
Why Blogs Won’t Be Leaving Any Time Soon
While we may live in an era of instant gratification, that doesn’t mean we have no attention span at all.
For as long as we’ve been able to communicate, humans have enjoyed learning and hearing stories. Before the internet, that took place in books and through lectures or oral recitations.
The internet and modern technology in general have certainly changed many things about our lives since then. They’ve made things far easier and more accessible.
While it’s true that this has changed the way we consume information and stories, it’s also given us a broader glimpse into the many interesting aspects of life.
People have the ability to discover endless fascinating topics and hear about the lives of people all across the world, all from the comfort of their living rooms.
Social media gives people a taste of these things, but blogging is where people turn when they want more.
Given the track record of human thirst for knowledge and for deep interpersonal connection, it’s extremely unlikely that longer-form content like that of blogs will disappear.
And since blogging is already pretty much ideally suited to that niche, it’s equally unlikely that blogs will disappear out of obsolescence.
Conclusion
While social media and short, easy-to-digest content has definitely become a huge part of our lives, that doesn’t mean we don’t want longer-form content as well. The two aren’t competing, but complementing one another.
Whether you’re into educational blogs, personal memoirs, or business blogging, you can rest assured that there will be plenty of new content for the foreseeable future.
