Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Facebook Killed the Blog
It's a sad day, but I have to announce that the blog is officially dead. Or it least it seems to be. Facebook is the culprit. It captures people in its time-consuming bells and whistles and keeps them captive through meaningless quick updates and farmville antics. Facebook is one of the greatest examples of the dumbing down of America. Blogs took thought. Blogs took decent writing ability and planning. Any idiot can type in "I'm spending time with my wonderful wife at McDonalds" on Facebook. But, the fact is, you are NOT spending time with your wonderful wife. You're spending time with your cell-phone or laptop and making stupid updates on Facebook that no one cares about. Regardless, I've noticed that Blogs are becoming less and less popular. In fact, of the 28 RSS blog feeds that I subscribe to, only about 5 of them update on a regular basis. Most of them haven't been updated in months or years. But, I keep them in my RSS feeds because I have a deep down hope that Facebook will lose it's luster and people will come back to the faithful blog. I've even noticed that people who used to read my blog don't bother anymore because I'm "not on Facebook" and it would be too much of an inconvenience to navigate the internet to my blog. I feel like I'm posting pictures, videos, and thoughts on my blog entirely in vain. I know that there are a handful of you who still read my blog, but I also know that many of my former readers have been taken captive by the Facebook infection. What's worse is that Facebook has become the only way to get real-time info about the people you love. What? So-in-so had a stroke? Or so-in-so had a baby? It has become so that you are not really connected to your family and friends if you don't have Facebook. It is a tragedy. I will probably continue to write my blog because whether or not I still have readers, it is therapeutic for me to write. I'm just sad that America has replaced the blog with Facebook.
8 comments:
Indeed it is very true! Why read 200 words of meaningful thought out ideas and concepts when you can just read 140 characters of nonsense from twitter or Facebook. Thus our Fast food society has claimed another victim.
I do have to say I enjoy facebook. I've had a blast reconnecting with people, but with some it is at best superficial. I have gotten more readers because I use "Network Blogs" on facebook so every time I blog it rolls over to facebook. Am I a traitor, probably, but I too find blogging therapeutic.
Your Faithful Follower,
HollyMag
No one reads my blog except you, but I'll keep writing in it like a journal because it's good for the soul. Eventually I will have enough to turn into a small book.
You know.... video killed the radio star... so facebook killed the blogger. digital photography killed camera film. Internet killed the newspaper. Cell phones killed the land lines...party lines. Print is dead and the art of conversation is dying. Something will eventually kill facebook. Maybe mental telepathy. Vulcan mind meld?
Wow! You sound a little upset there. I like both of them although the only reason i started my blog was because I had to sign up to contact you :) with a comment. I would write more often in mine but I feel like I am the only one who ever reads it so its not like anyone is out there waiting for me. I agree that most of facebook is pretty lame, i don't do games or anything like that but I do keep in contact with people who I thought i had lost forever. You are much too gifted of a writer to give up yours, so don't. I will keep doing mine because like everyone else says it is kind of theraputic. I can put whatever I feel in there because nobody reads it except occasionaly you and my mom and you guys have known me my whole life.
I'm not on Facebook because I'm uncomfortable with a corporation knowing that much about my relationships. I read your blog (and your Mom's) pretty faithfully. Like the gospel said "..wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." I think He may have been referring to facebook (among other things.
I still read your blog too Chris. I kinda agree with you with the whole Facebook thing, however I think people abuse what facebook was made for. People that post entire novels on facebook I think don't really understand what it was for. I don't mind the quick post here and there, but if I have anything longer or intellegent I want to say, I try to put it in my blog. As Holly said, Facebook does help you reconnect to lost friends or people you haven't talked to in a while so I do like that aspect, but I also think it's hilarious when people don't want to get on Facebook cause they think their work or whoever will know to much about them. Look people, you don't have to accept every person that requests to be your friend! It's ok to click Ignore. Then, they don't see your posts. People can only see what you put up on Facebook, so if you don't want people to see stuff about you, don't post it! Or don't be their friends. Very simple.
I agree that Facebook can become what you are describing it as, however not always. Granted, I am on Facebook and even regreted it when I first signed up, it has it's usefulness. Kind of like instant messaging on steroids. (What's the difference between making an announcement, sharing an article, or asking for prayer via Facebook compared to a blast e-mail?) For those of us who try to use it sparingly, it isn't always the all encompassing, mindless twaddle that it can quickly turn into. I've only really "friended" people that I actually have regular interaction with outside of the computer realm or family that I don't see very often. Not people I knew 15 years ago or even 1 year ago that I don't keep in contact with anymore. I actually don't put any real personal info such as previous schools & block people from searching me cuz I don't really care for people from my past to "find" me. I have blocked all Farmville & other similar requests as well as blocked or even unfriended (gasp!) people who insist on telling me everytime they enjoy a PB&J sandwich. I find that anything in life can become an "idol" that can quickly get out of control whether it be Facebook, blogging, e-mail, texting, etc. My blog became that for me...a time consumer that I eventually realized wasn't as important as living my life. I'm not saying blogging is bad either. It just became less important for me in my hectic schedule with a 10 month old. I admit I don't read your blog as often as I used to but it's not because I'm on Facebook. It was becoming a replacement for actual human interaction with the people I love that you accuse Facebook of becoming. I started realizing that I would read about what you guys were up to in Colorado and then would later talk to your lovely wife, only to find that I already knew about what she wanted to tell me or what you've been up to because I read about it on your blog. I decided that I prefered to actually engage in a conversation that would keep us connected rather than read about it on the blog and feel the need not to call. After making this decision, I found that I made more of an effort to call and and engage in conversation that fosters our friendship. All in all, the "bad" side of using Facebook and the "good" side of blogging isn't always so cut and dry. Ultimately, I guess it ends up being what you make of it. Keep on blogging, bro! I may not read it everyday but I am still interested. :)
I would say have both Chris. Think of it as a long dinner with a friend (blog) vs. a nice but brief phone call (FB). We can't have dinner all the time, but I can get on the phone more often.
Post a Comment