“Bring back personal blogging”?! Yes, PLEASE!!

There are times when you read something and can’t relate. And then, here are the times you read an article and think, “OMG. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!” 

Dear Reader, this was one of those times.

Get into this article by Monique Judge: Bring back personal blogging

Although it was published last year, I found it about a week or two ago. And it came right on time. 

Before 2023 began, I’d started to think about the type of writing I wanted to do this year. At the top of my list was a serious rejection of social media, along with a reinvestment in my blog. 

Back in the Day

My first impression of Monique’s work?

It was refreshing to read something written by someone who remembers The Before Times. 

No, I’m not talking about our pre-COVID days. I’m talking about the time when we humans existed before the internet–or at the very least, social media–took over our lives. 

In the beginning, there were blogs, and they were the original social web. We built community. We found our people. We wrote personally. We wrote frequently. We self-policed, and we linked to each other so that newbies could discover new and good blogs. 

I want to go back there.

Monique Judge – “Bring back personal blogging”

Me too, Monique. Me too!!

I remember when Blogger first came on the scene. I felt thrilled at the idea of being able to share my thoughts on a site dedicated to me, and my writing. 

Getting Social

In her piece, Monique mentions social media and the disadvantages of not owning your own content. When I used Instagram regularly, I would see it all the time–people who use the app as their business website, where they shared their most important content, and sold their products. 

Time and again, I’ve wondered, “But what happens when Instagram goes down?”

Elon’s Twitter antics have been a harsh reminder that your content’s fate could depend on the whims of whoever owns your favourite app. And I’m not okay with leaving my work in their hands.

Put yourself over your social profile

Meanwhile, my main concern with social media has been its effect on my inner being. True, it’s given me access to friends and family, information, and diversity–all things that I value. Yet over the years, I’ve also let my guard down. The more attached to social media I became, the more I let my attention span whither. Social media has also needlessly increased my anxiety surrounding what I post: In the past, I’ve ended up judging the value of my opinions, spent hours worrying about potential trolls, etc.

And that’s not healthy.

I’ve also seen people lose sight of reality. 

Social media has put us all at risk for harbouring unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. At times it seems as though hero-worship is at an all-time unrealistic high. On the other side of that coin, I’ve noticed people who seem to believe that their follower count is a sign of their superiority. This isn’t a particularly new thing. But experiencing the brunt of such a person’s entitlement can be jarring.

Thankfully, time spent away from social media can bring us all down to earth. (And I realize that it’s easier said than done, especially when your job depends on it. But certain tools exist that can lighten your load, or at least offer a bit of distance between you and social sites.)

Creation, not consumption

Getting back to Monique’s article: I miss those early internet days. Even if all I did was share my occasionally misguided thoughts on Star Trek… 

Over the past few years I’ve been thinking about an approach that I’ve seen lately in writing: Be a producer, not a consumer. 

I want to concentrate on creating content, without feeling the need to obsessively consume it. And with the amount of ideas that are in my head, that might be for the best.

Somehow I think that back in those early days, my relationship with the internet was much healthier. Over the years, changes in our phones have resulted in us having apps which brought their own sense of obligation along with them. And this has been to our detriment.

Do not let things master you.

A while ago I removed social media from my phone. I tried reinstalling certain apps late last year, but that didn’t last long. 

I have no idea of what I’ll do in the months ahead. But if you find yourself having to actually use social media, yet struggling with your addiction to it, know this: You can access the essential social apps–Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook–via web browsers and different posting tools. And remember, you don’t have to lurk–you can post and leave.

The reach and freedom that technology can bring feels nice. But feeling beholden to it? Not so much.

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Photo from CreateHER Stock Photography