Why Do I Blog?
As I start this 30 posts in 30-days challenge, you might be thinking, why on earth would someone blog. Post a video, record a podcast, make an Instagram post. Why blog? What is wrong with you??
Fair point. I’ll ask you this, when is the last time that you got anything out of going on Instagram? When is the last time that you could honestly say that the time you spent on Tik Tok was worth it?
To me, I believe that long-form content is starting to become a lost art. We are transforming our dopamine response. We are reprogramming our brains to enjoy short bursts of material consumed in 2–5 second hits. The problem with that is when was the last time that you watched a piece of social media content, and it elicited a real human response? I mean a ~real human response~. Did you cry the last time you were on Instagram? Did you get that warm fuzzy feeling in your chest? Did you get motivated to start your life’s passion? Short of a quick laugh and showing your friend, I bet you got nothing out of it.
Why do you think movies are 2+ hours? Why do you think Joe Rogan’s podcasts are 3 hours? Why do you think the best stories are turned into books? There’s something to be said about the story. There is an emotion, a feeling, a natural-born inclination in all of us that is called to the journey.
I tear up when I watch The Notebook. I am so invested in their love story that when it gets to the climax, and we believe that there is a chance that they will never be with each other, it elicits a natural human response; sadness. And in the end, when they pass away in each other’s arms, holy cow, a tidal wave of a happy sadness (I know you know what I mean). At that moment, I feel connected to a story. I feel human.
In today’s world, I think we are losing an art form — the ability to captivate an audience from start to finish. And, most importantly, the ability to connect one another through a story.
I have this obsession with the idea of human connection. For me, long-form writing is a way for me to connect with you. As you read, you understand where I am coming from. You form your own opinions on the matter. You read the writing with your own internal voice. In essence, starting a conversation with the author; me.
I think we are starting to lose our natural way of communication. Social media and the internet have transformed we with which we communicate.
Incredibly, I can reach anyone in the world in a couple of seconds (not even). Think about that for a second. In the fastest way possible, it takes someone 8 hours to get from New York to London via jet. To physically travel that distance, it takes 8 hours. And yet you can send an email or iMessage in less than a second…
So, we can establish that the ability to communicate with one another has vastly improved. But has it? How connected do you feel to the people around you? Would you rather text your friend or call them? Would you rather Instagram message your family member or text them? How often is the phone on the dinner table when you are out with someone? Why is that?
Over the next month, I intend to explore that idea further. What does it mean to be human? How can we connect with one another in a world that is almost too connected?
Which brings us back to so why blog? I blog to start a well thought out and researched idea. I blog to tell a story. I blog to connect with each of you in a way that you thought you never would when you first met me or read my first piece of writing. I blog to contribute to our story. I blog in hopes of continuing to expand on big ideas and to help move us forward.
