Does blogging increase your social life?
I was hopping around the Internet looking for some interesting articles, when I came across an article on Tech Crunch about blogging being good for your social life, which was based on a survey. The article is interesting, but for any well known web user, it’s nothing really new.
A new study has found Bloggers are better adjusted and live healthier, happier social lives.
The research, from Swinburne University of Technology found that “people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who did not blog” after a two month blogging period when compared to people who do not blog. The good news also extends to users of social networking sites, with the study finding than any online interaction makes users “feel less anxious, depressed and stressed.”
It’s not all good news however, as the study found that some “potential bloggers” start from a less socially integrated position. Professor Susan Moore told the ABC:
“We found potential bloggers were less satisfied with their friendships and they felt less socially integrated, they didn’t feel as much part of a community as the people who weren’t interested in blogging,” Ms Moore said.
“They were also more likely to use venting or expressing your emotions as a way of coping.”
“It was as if they were saying ‘I’m going to do this blogging and it’s going to help me.”
I have been using the Internet for years and years and have to agree that being online opens up a persons life to millions of other users, which they can interact with to share and acquire information. I have to say that blogging per say is not really the best usage of word in this article, but they did mention social networking, which probably should have replaced blogging in the title.
Communication is the fundamental here, Instant Messaging programs and more privately, Forums, are where this applies in my opinion.
Christopher is the founder of iMod - Most of his time is spent building websites and pushing the limits with Search Engine Optimization. You can follow him on Twitter @ChristopherM
Chris M has written: 4140 posts.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Blogging is nice way of communicating, but it will never beat a good chit-chat over a glass of wine and good food. :)
Physical (real life) interaction is still the best. Humans are after all social animals that like to live in groups.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Agreed Rustig, I must say, I think blogging is more for getting something out and then people might comment and only if you’re lucky, a conversation will start. The instant messaging and such is more ideal for socialising, although, the number of blogs around and the wide spread of information definitely increases the ease of acquiring information these days.
I agree about a good glass of wine and some food, there’s nothing like some proper face to face communication – my favourite!
Mar 4th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Nice article. I’m not sure it has helped me socially. It’s certainly kept people in touch with me and that may be good. I see blogging the same way I see TV. It’s not the behaviour that it incites, but the behaviour that it (can) prevent (human beings talking face to face with each other, human beings spending less time in front of the computer and more time with each other…)
I am spending crazy amounts of time online when I could be talking to a real person. I’d rather be doing the latter.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I agree with you Nick, nicely put! I know for me, in the local South African bloggisphere, it’s fairly easy to meet people through blogging as we have all sorts of events and meet ups, but all in all, blogging wouldn’t make someone more social..
Mar 4th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I don’t know hey, I was thinking about the studies they’ve done which show that perhaps social media makes people LESS sociable.
Take any social media platform (not just FB), and see the quality of interaction between users. People tend to confuse the number of friends or contacts they have with the number of people they actually know for shit. And even the people you sorta know – when you chat online, do you really have the same level of understanding and connection as you do when you meet people in the offline world?
Perhaps if you can balance between the online and offline worlds, then it may open up a bit of a new social gap, but even then, often people only project a certain side to themselves, so I don’t know how solid that communication really is.
That said, I’ve managed to make a few connections through blogging, so it can be done I guess.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
People are not necessarily the same in real life as they are online. If you can meet someone who is genuine in real life you might be able to increase your social life but a social life in my mind is offline.
Mar 4th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Agreed! Real social life is offline. I had a blog but had to put it on ice for a while. I think it is a good thing to blog. It gives you your own little pedastall to stand on. I did it for fun and own satisfaction. Others may blog to be famous and celebraty status and “brag” about the hits. I enjoy reading the everyday persons blog just as much as the informative ones. Makes you realise there are people who share the same in the world.
Your own little place to blow of steam.
Mar 5th, 2008 at 10:28 am
That’s true SaulK, most of the people I meet online are completely different to who they are offline – definitely the case 80% of times.
Agreed Rustig!
Mar 5th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Hey Rox, missed your comment there for a second! A balance is definitely the way to go about doing things :)