Those of us who've blogged for a while (I started in 2010) know that blogging became popular 10-15 years ago and... then slowly fizzled out. When personal videos became possible and easy (on mobile devices) the masses gravitated toward them and away from static word-and-picture blogs. It was inevitable since most people can't write and don't like to read. Watching videos on TikTok and Instagram is their first choice.
I'm sad about this for a few reasons. First, I love to write so expressing myself here has always been a delight. Second, I like to connect with others so reading blogs, pondering the writer's experiences and being able to comment is always fun. And third, I find most video content to be shallow whereas blog posts are usually deep and more meaningful. Plus, on blogs we can show off our fancy vocabulary. :)
It was sad to see my favorite blogs -- which at one point numbered over 60 -- disappear. Of those, only a small handful exist today. Most evaporated without warning, like water on the patio during Summer.
I plan to remain here forever and will continue to support like-minded souls doing the same work. If you're reading this and have a blog, link it in the comments so I can join your community.
Recently I posted about a fabulous new book ("The Secret of Secrets," by Dan Brown [2025]). The novel has passages which give me hope about a future return to blogging. Here they are:
"Online, I am a bodiless consciousness…". (p. 656)
"It’s an unusual idea, but I’ve come to believe that our current technological explosion is actually part of a spiritual evolution… a kind of training ground for the existence that, in the end, is our ultimate destiny… a consciousness, untethered from the physical world, and yet connected to all things.” (p. 656)
The idea of consciousness outside human bodies is growing in popularity as it explains many odd phenomena (like the paranormal, mystical and metaphysical). Science and philosophy are examining consciousness with fresh originality. Noetics are pushing back against materialism and opening doors to new concepts and thought. Blogs may be training wheels for something much, much bigger.
i miss blogging SO MUCH. substack is a little closer to what i miss than tiktok/instagram/et cetera but nothing is quite the same and i often have the same thoughts as you have here, though i have long since abandoned my own blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the smart feedback.
DeleteI love my blog! Even though I have had my current blog since March of 2025, I had a blog way before that for 6 years...also on Blogger. From 2012 to 2017. The reason I had no blog after that until last year is because I had no computer for more than 7 years.
ReplyDeleteThe only social media I have right now (and the only one I want), is my blog. I used to be on Facebook for decades, but last year decided to close my account. Honestly, I haven't missed it.
I would, however, miss my blog. Instagram, Twitter and all the other social media sites don't interest me at all.
I find it sad that many bloggers that I knew from my old blog have died or just stopped blogging for whatever reason.
I am happy to have found and reconnected with bloggers from the past who are still blogging! And I am also glad to have met new bloggers as well.
Thank you so much for sharing, and thanks as well for your visits and kind comments on my blog, I really appreciate it so much. I only blog on Mondays and Thursdays, but I really enjoy doing it and very much appreciate the kind feedback I get in the way of comments from other bloggers.
I hope you have a wonderful week!