I recently read this article from Discovery news about blogging. They say that they have seen how people who blog and are involved in social networks feel more accepted and involved. Hmmm. I wonder why, no seriously though, I definitely agree that blogging is good for mental health, and as well as spiritual health. The article says that research shows people who blog are more confident that others can help them and feel more connected to a community. I think it also has to do with the fact that people feel like they are important. The web is huge and if people can still find and manage to help you, it makes you feel like you matter in the vast world.
Another thing I believe blogging does for people is that it allows people to vent their emotions or feelings as well as stuff they are going through in a constructive way. Instead of holding it in, people are connected and there to help.
The article states that social networking gets people to have more confidence in friendships in face-to-face as well as online. I have to agree, because sometimes when I am face-to-face with some of my friends, there are a lot of distractions that keep real conversations on the sidelines. Blogging helps to make things at least a little more intentional.
For me, I know that blogging has helped me to organize my thoughts and to understand more about what everyone in my life is going through. It helps me to look inside myself and really focus on what I am thinking and to make it in an archived format. I can look back at it whenever I want. I think many of the benefits from my blogging could have been achieved with a journal, but I just don’t do that. On the other hand, I feel like I belong to a community and I am not just talking to myself with my blog, as others can look at it and can discuss things, if not in the comments, then usually in person. I know I can discuss things better after I have already wrote down my thoughts. I know Brian spoke a little about what his thoughts were on blogs, I am curious to know how blogging has influenced the rest of you.
Filed under: health, society, Technology | Tagged: blogs, social networks |
Captiveoutpost's Weblog 
Personally ,blogging for me is like my psychiratrist in a way. I have these ideas or emotions in my head that i feel the need to get out or else I’ll get too worried about them. Blogging is my outlet for that. Also, i love to hear the feedback of other people to see what they think on certain issues.
Yea I can definitely agree with that. I feel like if I don’t spend time to write down my ideas or what I am going through, I will keep them inside and never really deal with them. When I first started my blog, is for mainly just me to kind of track my relationship with Christ and to help me understand what I am thinking about.
The reason that i really started blogging was like many others was to find an outlet to cope with crap in my life. To get an idea of why I used blogging for this check out this post; http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/70-difficult-breakups/
Its funny!
That is a great link! I didn’t know that, but I think the blog sphere is a decent area for others to sympathize with your life.