The Internet is amazing. We began to learn this in the 1990s, and it has not stopped amazing us with the wonders that it has brought into our lives. This magnificent system has allowed for the seamless transfer of information in a matter of seconds. It has also allowed for anyone with a connection to have a voice that the entire world can hear in the form of blogs.
Now, others would call this just another way for many narcissistic individuals to put themselves on a pedestal and express their views on every topic, even though no one truly cares. But it is more than just that. Blogging gives people the opportunity to get their story out in the public eye.
When you really think about it, the ideas behind blogging have been happening even years before the Internet was even a thought. Whether it is on sports, movies, news, how pretty your new dog is or how ugly your friend’s cat is, we have been giving our opinions to anyone who would listen for quite some time.
The only problem with blogging is that we do not look for any information that even slightly differs from our own world view. We only want the information that coincides with how we already think so that we feel as though we are right all of the time. We want the people that have their name on television, magazines or newspapers to agree with us. We don’t need to find other ‘average’ people that agree with us because that won’t elevate our views at all.
This is just simply not true. No one like that is any better or worse and the exchange of information is what gets us closer to the truth. We need people to disagree with us because that is the only way that we can show just how right we are.
The beauty is that you can take stories or opinions that you disagree with and use your blog to contest those ideas. Blogs have finally given us the opportunity to put our views up there with the views of the people we see on television.
Take the idea of movies. Why do we take the words of professional movie critics as law? Why can’t what I think of “Pulp Fiction” be just as valid as what Roger Ebert thinks of the “The Green Mile” or what you think of “The Dark Knight”? Blogs have brought us the exciting opportunity to put ourselves through a medium which allows us to share our opinions with the world.
In regards to the world of sports, what makes anything that anyone says on ESPN say about the NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB seasons anymore relevant or accurate than what you may think? What gives Skip Bayless’ opinions on why LeBron James is no good any more credence than what you may think? What makes Bill Simmons’ guess on who will win the NBA championship any better than mine or yours?
In the world of politics, why is Rush Limbaugh’s political analysis any more insightful than anyone else’s analysis? How about Glenn Beck’s? Rachel Maddow’s? Chris Matthews’? What is it that makes anything they think so important?
We often say that blogs are less important than other media outlets because any fool can start one. But it’s that fact that makes blogs so incredibly important. Anyone can start one and only the best will continue to get the most readers.
It has given us more power to spread incredible ideas or movements with just the click of a mouse. Blogging increases your connections and may also allow you to meet people with similar views as yours. After that, you can use those connections to help you spread yourself even further.
And, when done correctly, the views published on a blog can garnish you a lot of respect.
In addition, the amount of views your blog receives could correlate with how many advertisers will attempt to buy space from you which can be a great way to grab some side cash from the Internet.
Blogs are just the latest function to the idea that no voice is more important than another. Once a blogger has a following, they can actually help bring obscure news stories to the forefront. Blogging allows us all to unlock our potential to affect the world. We can finally do it. That potential is literally right at our fingertips.
