A few of us have recently been talking wistfully about old school blogging. We’ve discussed the fact that many of those we once followed a decade or more ago have disappeared. It’s a weird feeling. One minute we know everything about their lives and next thing….poof.

I’ve been pondering why the original personalised style of blogging has seemingly died a slow but steady death. I started blogging because I loved words and writing. I had no outlet for my blithering. I’m not brave enough to submit to other places, too lazy to finish a novel and unsure what other options I have. So in early 2009 I put fingers to keyboard and launched my original blog (Write About Now, renamed in 2011/12 as Debbish).

Personal blogging and the good ol’ mummy bloggers

In those days the so-called ‘mummy bloggers’ ruled the world. They shared the ins and outs of parenthood and life with kids. They were enormously popular. A few other genre-d blogs appeared – style and fashion, health and fitness (including my own – then – Diet Schmiet). But most featured personal blogging (the sharing of interesting and inane things about our lives), albeit with a theme. Over time however advertisers started offering money, or at least free stuff, so many pursued monetisation and a lot of bloggers tempered their stories and carefully curated their content. As a result many readers were left feeling the voices they’d followed for so long were no longer authentic.

The rise and rise of Instagram

I suspect the rise of Instagram and its influencers also impacted on the original personal bloggers. I know on the book blogging front bookstagram seems to have become to platform of choice for publishers (as opposed to bookblogs). When I’m at my most cynical I wonder if our attention spans have waned and we’re only capable of looking at pretty things and reading a few words. Or perhaps lives are just busier and there’s more competition for our online time.

I’ve pursued book blogging but miss the opportunity to overshare my existential angst so tend to throw in an occasional personal post. And they always (ALWAYS) find significantly more readers than any of my book posts.

Is personal or old skool blogging dead?

I miss personal blogging. I know it seems narcissistic to assume anyone would find our lives interesting but I’m reminded I started blogging because I loved writing and I did it without an audience in mind. I then continued because I found it cathartic.

I know there are some who never ‘got’ the whole blog reading thing. That perhaps they found it voyeuristic to be privy to someone else’s personal life. I recall (however) it offering a sense that we weren’t alone in our thoughts or feelings. That was always the feedback I got from my rather-blunt dieting posts. I was often equally surprised others were as weird as moi! (Or, of course that I was / am – in fact – normal!)

I’m making some changes in my little world at the moment and – though I’ve talked about it for a while – am thinking of cutting back on my book reviews so I can do more posts from a personal point of view again. I miss the release I used to feel from just… writing what is on my mind or in my heart.

Are you a blogger? A blog reader / website visitor? Do you enjoy posts about people’s lives or their thoughts and feelings? Does it depend on the content or their writing?

Or perhaps you definitely think old skool blogging is dead, that time is short and people need to focus on their own stuff? 

Linking up with Denyse for Life This Week.