is blogging dead? do we no longer create content for fun?

In a world where ‘microinfluencers’ have something like 50k followers on Instagram alone, where do the likes of me come in?

It’s always been the adage of the combination of good content, hard work, and consistency producing the best results. It’s also been obsessively repeated that the adage of ‘if you build it, they will come’ never works, unless ‘they’ know where to go. And blogging and social networking, in that regard, have been the embodiment of the free speech and free media platform accessible to so many.

But when blogging and social networks became part of big media and big money, it all went to shit.

I’m not here to diss the big ‘influencers’ (I’m sorry, I hate that word almost as much as I hate the word ‘curator’ applied to anything other than a museum or a public library), nor the ‘micro’ ones. I’m not here to cry over the fact that I’ve got under 100 followers on Instagram (around 1/3 of which wants to sell me something).

I’m just here to say that I – imagine that – don’t want to be influenced by ‘influencers’ who are as relatable to my life and realities as a Vogue editor of yesteryear, or as whoever runs Goop these days. I don’t want to be bombarded with brands all the time. I don’t want to see trends all the time on my feed, I don’t want my feed to be sorted in an order Instagram thinks will make more money off of me.

Sure, I still follow several Big folks, but that’s only because I’ve been following them for years, and I enjoy their style still.

I want to see people, real people. People’s lives, people’s opinions, people’s thoughts on a non-PR item. People’s 9 to 5, people’s dinner of mac n cheese and cheap wine. People walking their dogs that aren’t dressed in Vuitton.

This is seriously a form of censorship.

I mean, yeah, sure, the people are there, their content is available, but… Instagram doesn’t think it’s relevant. Google doesn’t think they’ve used enough bullshit keywords that correspond to their new bullshit algorithm, so yeah, good luck finding that content, haha bye.

People fight for net neutrality – we’re a decade too late to the party. Just let the motherfuckers go one tiny step beyond, will you.

So is blogging dead?

The answer to that clickbaity question is: Of course not.

Blogging is not dead as long as my friends still write blogs.

Blogging is not dead as long as there is still non-sponsored non-brand-heavy content out there.

Blogging is not dead as long as folks continue to write about the simple things that make them happy, like an ice-cream eaten at the zoo, or the sound of rain on a quiet autumn evening.

Blogging, though, in its true and pure form, has become almost underground. I’m sure there’s folk out there who’ve read this and want to say something along the lines of ‘see, what you’re describing is a livejournal post. What’s the ROI of that’.

My witty and mature answer is that its ROI is higher than the ROI of your arse.

Blogging is alive and kicking as long as people who blog will stay true to themselves. Sure, some of us lead blessed lives, and some of these blessed lives have become blessed thanks to all the hard work these people have put into – wait for it – blogging as a job.

But when I open my Instagram and, like clockwork, see all the ‘high flyers’ post about their great stay at Same Island, Same Hotel, Nigh Identical Suite, Picture Perfect Samey Breakfast, reading Same Book, wearing Same Bikini, with Same Dainty Necklace on Same SPF covered neck, with Same Manicured Hands on the steering wheel of the Same Car?

I just want to build my own Instagram then, with blackjack and hookers.

I swear this shit is worse than a juice cleanse after the second bout of keto intermittent fasting.