Thoughts for Thursday: Cyber popularity

For those of you who blog, is being cyber-popular the main motivation for you to blog?

Last week in one of my grad classes we were talking about self-esteem and self-concept.  Someone in the class mentioned something or another about how she thought that people who blog, use MySpace or Facebook and post pictures all the time and try to make "friends" are just totally full of themselves.  I chose not to get into what I thought about that comment.

Does anyone agree with that comment?  Does blogging and posting pictures of your life make you seem self-centered or full of yourself?? 

I think not, but then again from the looks of my blog, I must be really full of myself.  Pictures everywhere!  I must think I am totally cool and popular and I only blog to get attention.  I am a big bragger, I guess.  However it is my blog and if I want to celebrate and share pieces of my life and post a ton of pics, so be it!  I think it is awesome that I am able to journal about my life this way and I personally find it very fulfilling.

Yes, I enjoy that people care or are interested enough to want to see what is going on in my life.  I love many of the dotcomrades I have met through blogging and scrapjazz.  Do I share every aspect of every single day or detail of my life? NO.  Do I blog to be popular? NO.  Am I trying to make money from this? NO.  But I also do not think that there is anything wrong with having an audience. It is actually quite motivating.  Why spend the time writing something that no one is going to ever see or read?  I enjoy getting comments and checking my stats and having old and new people read my blog, but I definitely do not strive to be one of those "Internet People" who are cyber-popular such as those we all know and love in this video.....

Blogging can be a wonderful way to reach new people.  Many people are now using blogs to generate business clientele or promote new products.  Or maybe just discussion on specific topics (politics, sports, book reviews, crafts, support groups, creative writing, etc) and I think that is wonderful. These people may be the ones who are more interested in generating large numbers of readers.

I respect those non-bloggers who wish to keep their private lives private, but I don't think it is fair to judge those of us who do blog and share bits & pieces of our lives and say that we are full of ourselves.  And so what if some people are? Your choice to read those blogs or not!

Your thoughts on blogging, bragging and cyber popularity??

************************************************************************************

Other TFT bloggers this week:

Michelle needing help with lack of baby sleep

Nicole on family nudity and names for body parts

Denise on blind dating

Jenny on blog security

Jenny on the demands of motherhood

Zoe on what to do with all the Halloween candy

Amy K on sibling relationships

Comments

[adrienne]

What a great entry! I blog because I like it. HTat is it. I have been called self centered because of my blog but isn't your "personal" blog supposed to be about the stuff YOU are doing? Just my two cents!

[Mary]

I love blogging! It's fun and I've had nothing but positive feedback from family and friends. I love reading others blogs as well. I like seeing what life is like for other people in different parts of the country. And I love the discussions that they generate!

[Devan]

I've never thought that blogging makes someone self-centered! In fact, I have tons of pics on my blog. ooops.

[Jen]

Thanks for stopping by my blog :) I love this entry.

I have to say that one of my favorite things to do is get online and see how a lot of my friends are doing who I don't get to catch up with often enough. I love that most of them blog, so I can feel like I still know what's going on with them.

Not to mention most of the blogs I read are so super funny, and that makes for a good day! lol. I love the video, hadn't seen that before :) Thanks for sharing.

[Connie]

I find the whole blogging world facinating. In particular since my blog was designed to keep in touch with my sister in CA (the time difference and our schedules made it so inconvenient to try and talk on the phone)it has grown into a crafting blog too. I love reading and getting inspiration from the MANY talented women all over the world. Through these glimpses into others lives I have drawn such great appreciation of the talents that other woman are sharing in their blogs. Not just the crafting, but the juggling of family, career and their love to express themselves through their creations. I say we are not selfish but merely having conversations with others around the country/globe.

[Denise H.]

I completely agree with you. I am a new blogger and just started by blog this past July. Prior to starting my blog I never really thought about why people blogged. However, since starting my blog I find it so Fun & Addicting! I don't do it to make friends, boost my self esteem or to try to get as many readers as possible but more for documenting my life, sharing pictures and info with friends, family and fellow bloggers. Also, getting those nice comments is a Great boost when you are discouraged or having a bad day! After my grandma passed away I realized just how important journaling is & want to make sure that when I pass away that my life will be documented for anyone who cares to read and know just who I was.

[jenny]

i enjoy blogging. i started doing it in order to share what was happening in my life with friends/family that did not live close. now that i have 'met' more people online, i feel that i have a wider base of people to share with or get advice from. i have always loved keeping a journal, and this is just a different outlet that allows me to do just that.

i don't feel i'm full of myself for having a blog. i like getting new readers and having people comment (who doesn't?) - but that isn't my main goal. blogs are like an online form of reality tv and daytime soap operas all rolled into one. :)

[simone]

I definitely don't blog to be popular at all but I know many, many, many bloggers that judge their "value" based on how many comments they have and worry about making their readers "happy".
I just think that is all crap, unless you're making money at it, I guess.
I could care less if I was the only person reading and at one point I think I was! LOL

[Dana Sterner]

I don't blog much-a little on myspace here and there but I do enjoy reading about other people's lives I am interested in and their daily stuff. I think some could be considered self-centered through the use of a blog and pictures but I think there are many more that would not and should not be considered self-centered. I guess it would depend on the content. Kristi, I have told you this before...I think it is great to document your life in this manner. We all have busy lives to live and for you to post your pics and write about your days can be therapeutic and just plain fun. I'm sure you look back in your archives and see something you wrote about and reminisce about that time and being it is documented, you might be able to recall more vivid feelings from that day than if it was just from memory. This is the era of technology. Let's use it.

[greta adams]

i blog because it is fun and if people think i am self centered then WHATEVERRRR!! Rest assured I won't lose sleep over it. It is MY personal space and if they don't like it they don't have to read...

I do however thing some people blog to assure themselves they are "popular" but that is just my two cents...
and i have met several great friends online through this crazy thing we call blogging...and so far have met a few IRL too!....

**muah**
hoping to get to meet your crazy ass soon!!

[zoe]

I blog purely for me.me.me. I'm a selfish bitch like that.

[Jessica]

I love to journal, and this is just a fun way for me to do that. Sure, it's nice when I get alot of comments, but even when I don't it's more for my own enjoyment to begin with!

Great thought!

[Noel]

I have my personal blog so I can remember fun times and things the kids have said or done. And so my family can keep up wth whats new around our house.

But, I also have my blogs for my website where I host the challenge and have the DT upload their work.

So I guess I use it for both sides of the coin really. But I don't check stats, and I don't care how many comments I get. It's just fun for me!

[Michelle Sauer]

Well, I guess I am self-centered because I think my kids are the cutest damn things in the world and I want everyone else to be able to look at their gorgeous faces too! Really, who cares. I agree with Greta, if they don't like it, don't read it.

I think my main reason for blogging now, is to meet new people and share experiences. I have met some great women and we share our problems and solutions. Being a mom is hard, but it's a little easier when you can compare battle stories. It makes you not feel so alone.

Good post Kristi and it just sounds like your classmate is naive and a little narrow minded.

[NIc]

I don't think of blogging as being self absorbed at all. I started mainly as a way to keep in touch with my mom who was out of town. Once Porter came along, it was more of a way to journal, to keep track of those daily milestones (still is). I also think its a great way to connect with people who have similar interests.

[lesfitz]

I agree with what you said. I blog for myself and to allow my friends to see a little of me if we haven't emailed or talked. Those that blog for popularity are very obvious to me for some reason or another. I love to come to blogs and see what my IRL and cyber friends are up too especially since not one of them lives anywhere near me.

[amy]

i think blogging is such a great way to connect with people that you otherwise probably would never would otherwise. i love getting other peoples points of views. it allows me to see things a little differently. it really shows me how in some ways, geographically we are all so alike and others ways so different (this is what i like, for example the full service/self service gas thing on my blog!!!)

[RobynD]

I loved your post. I just started blogging, It give me a chance to let it all out sometimes. and like Noel my kids are the cutest darn things that I want to share. Plus my mom can keep up with her first grand daughter. Meeting people is just a plus.

[heather]

What a great and really interesting topic Kristi!
I started blogging as a way to keep our family up to date on our life and pictures of our kids after we moved across the country. It has most definitely turned into a complete journal for me and I love being able to have this record of what has been going on in our lives, just the everyday stuff, and that I'll have it here forever.

I love reading blogs and hearing about other people's lives and their thoughts on things, and while it is so fun to make all these new "friends" in the blog world, it should by no means be a popularity contest. I like to meet people to hear about different lives, realize some of what it is to live other than where I live, and to share and gain ideas and experiences from other women.

I guess I little of that (popularity stuff) happens everywhere with certain people though, so why should the blog world be any different?

[heather]

What a great and really interesting topic Kristi!
I started blogging as a way to keep our family up to date on our life and pictures of our kids after we moved across the country. It has most definitely turned into a complete journal for me and I love being able to have this record of what has been going on in our lives, just the everyday stuff, and that I'll have it here forever.

I love reading blogs and hearing about other people's lives and their thoughts on things, and while it is so fun to make all these new "friends" in the blog world, it should by no means be a popularity contest. I like to meet people to hear about different lives, realize some of what it is to live other than where I live, and to share and gain ideas and experiences from other women.

I guess I little of that (popularity stuff) happens everywhere with certain people though, so why should the blog world be any different?

[heather]

What a great and really interesting topic Kristi!
I started blogging as a way to keep our family up to date on our life and pictures of our kids after we moved across the country. It has most definitely turned into a complete journal for me and I love being able to have this record of what has been going on in our lives, just the everyday stuff, and that I'll have it here forever.

I love reading blogs and hearing about other people's lives and their thoughts on things, and while it is so fun to make all these new "friends" in the blog world, it should by no means be a popularity contest. I like to meet people to hear about different lives, realize some of what it is to live other than where I live, and to share and gain ideas and experiences from other women.

I guess I little of that (popularity stuff) happens everywhere with certain people though, so why should the blog world be any different?