There are many different reasons why people choose to blog. For most, it is the need to find people who are actually similar to themselves, with common interests and knowledge, and who are willing to share and interact.
For some, it is simply a way to record their lifestyle (similar to a diary). I have heard many bloggers referring to their blog as a way to look back in the future and see how their life developed. For others, it is a way of escaping from a life that seems boring and mundane, and for many – it is a way to promote their business interests.
The internet relationship between bloggers who blog for fun is difficult to describe to someone who has no knowledge of or experience of social media. I can hear the signs from people who just don’t seem to understand why others feel the need to blog, tweet or facebook.
The easiest way I can explain it from my personal blogging persona is that my Facebook is full of people I know in real life, but only talk to on occasion. My Twitter stream is full of people that I don’t know in real life (although that is changing fast), but who I talk to on a very regular basis.
Facebook is more in the realms of accepted online behaviour, but the new and growing popularity of Twitter has taken the internet by storm. All at once, there is a huge tool out there that anyone and everyone can use to advertise their own work. Just because that work is something they enjoy, or a hobby, don’t underestimate the growth and popularity of the emerging trends.
The need for the human race to make connections with other people drives the popularity of sites where like minded people can meet and interact. On Twitter, you can have 10 or more conversations going with different people all at the same time. That can be mind boggling for people who are not used to the tool, and quite intimidating for new social media entrants.
Using social media tools is often derided by our real life friends, and there are many a tweeter and google + fan who keeps their internet life secret from their real life. Facebook has reached the status of being more socially acceptable, and hopefully, in time, Twitter reaches the same status.
