Aliza Sherman Risdahl is the author of "The Everything Blogging Book" (Adams Media) as well as 5 other books. Her writing andwork is featured at http://www.mediaegg.com/. This is her first guest post at Light Within.
Will Blogging Replace Social Interaction?
When the Internet first took hold in the public sphere, everyone began wondering if we would all be locked away in our houses, attached to our computers. Would we never get out again to meet people face-to-face? Would the Internet replace human contact? Well, for a few odd people, it probably did, but for the majority of us, we still get out of the house and interact with others. But we also wouldn't give up the added connections we have because of the Internet.
So now blogs have come along which are, for all intents and purposes, really just web sites formatted in a particular way that provide easy online publishing tools so non-programmers can post their thoughts online. While blog content is often personal, even diary-like, the added value of blogs is how people can comment on the blog posts and then interact with others who have commented. Instant online community extended from content!
Now that blogs have captured the public's imagination, will we give up our face-to-face encounters? No matter how enticing a blog may be, let's face it - it is still a web site on a network accessed by a computer. For most of us, this is still no replacement for the real thing - face-to-face contact.
Still, one cannot deny the incredible connections that are being made these days through blogs and blogging. My own very personal blog is an account of my miscarriages, pregnancy and now struggles with early motherhood. My blog is an emotional outlet where I can rant and rave about my experiences. My blog is also a lifeline to getting immediate advice from other women who have been there, done that.
The community forming around my blog is tight knit, protective, intimate, caring. I don't have this same kind of community of women where I live right now, so in a way, my blog community is standing in for a real world group of women who I could call upon at any hour of the day or night. But replacing it? Never. As soon as I can get out more, I'll be looking for like-minded women, new mothers who can go out for coffee with baby in tow or go out for a jog with our baby joggers.
When I do have my real-world support system, will I give up my blog community? No way! There is something so comforting about having 24/7 access to information, supportive comments, advice. And I still need my emotional outlet to "talk" about the things that I'm going through at this new juncture in my life.
Blogging, like the Internet in general, cannot replace our offline interactions. But they can enhance them and offer some things that are only possible in the digital world.
Still, one cannot deny the incredible connections that are being made these days through blogs and blogging. My own very personal blog is an account of my miscarriages, pregnancy and now struggles with early motherhood. My blog is an emotional outlet where I can rant and rave about my experiences. My blog is also a lifeline to getting immediate advice from other women who have been there, done that.
The community forming around my blog is tight knit, protective, intimate, caring. I don't have this same kind of community of women where I live right now, so in a way, my blog community is standing in for a real world group of women who I could call upon at any hour of the day or night. But replacing it? Never. As soon as I can get out more, I'll be looking for like-minded women, new mothers who can go out for coffee with baby in tow or go out for a jog with our baby joggers.
When I do have my real-world support system, will I give up my blog community? No way! There is something so comforting about having 24/7 access to information, supportive comments, advice. And I still need my emotional outlet to "talk" about the things that I'm going through at this new juncture in my life.
Blogging, like the Internet in general, cannot replace our offline interactions. But they can enhance them and offer some things that are only possible in the digital world.
Tags: Aliza Sherman Risdahl, Books, Authors
7 comments:
I have not heard of this book but it does look interesting.
I do not think blogging will replace human interaction. I do think people can make friends on these blogs though.
Have you read the book mentioned above.
I haven't still but I intend to.
This book is definitely interesting, and I would love to get a copy. The topic is timely. I would think that many bloggers and social scientists would find this publication of great interest.
i dont think that things would replace each other. This is perhaps becuase things arent equal opposites or substitutes of each ohter. They would co-exisit, sometimes they over power each other due to the circumstances.
What about the book. Please tell us more about blogging book.
This sounds like THE book to read. I've put it on my wish list.
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