I've often heard about the "blogger epidemic," a phrase that (for lack of better terms) haters have been spreading about in the media lately. Chastising and stereotyping bloggers of all different sorts, grouping them all together as an unfavorable, self-absorbed mass.
But on the contrary, I look around at my fellow ladies and gents, and I see multifaceted, diverse, extremely creative people that are sharing their wonderful thoughts and creations with whoever is curious enough to click.
So I'm here today, to debunk these myths and stereotypes that are rampant in the blogging world.
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Stereotype #1: Bloggers are self-centered and arrogant.
This blog is *cough* about me. Yeah, it is 100% about me, but I'm the only thing I can write about without a works cited page. This blog is my journal, but it's not 300-some posts of how absolutely great I am. It's 300-some posts about the things I experience, love, want to promote, fear, hate, am annoyed by, have learned, want to learn, etc. If you think that's self-centered, you can click away, my dear lost friend. I'm sure there ARE quite a few rude, arrogant bloggers out there, but one sour grape doesn't spoil the harvest.
Stereotype #2: Blogs are either about food, babies, or fashion.
I'm not a mother, my wardrobe is fairly sparse, and my pantry is more often than not, as empty as a showing of a Nicholas Cage movie. Blogs can be about anything. Want to blog about Velociraptors wearing Fashionable hats? Go ahead! The blogosphere is yours!
Stereotype #3: Bloggers are only in it for the free stuff.
This one is tricky, because with many it can be true. I've seen twitter upon twitter account only dedicated to winning giveaways, and that's kinda sad, but the majority of the lovely people I've met are nothing like that. Sure, bloggers can get perks and incentives, but who doesn't? Does your company offer benefits or bonuses? If it does, you can't really complain, can you?
Stereotype #4: Bloggers are vapid.
I've seen ladies with vocabularies so large, I felt like I was taking a college course. I've seen more substance in some of the posts I read than in news papers. Sure a blogger will review the newest lip-stain, but in the very next post, they could blow your mind. Take that, New York Times.
Stereotype #5: You have to look a certain way to be successful.
This is absolute bullcrap. Yes, I know a lot of "stereotypical bloggers" have that Manic Pixie Dream Girl (aka Zooey Deschanel) thing going on. Of course, some are going to have similar tastes, but I can promise you that no two bloggers are alike. Trends come and go, and styles evolve. We are all beautiful and unique snowflakes. Snowflakes that all bring different things to the table. We're like one big snowy potluck dinner.
Stereotype #6: Blogging is pointless / useless / will amount to nothing.
Blogging requires a lot of dedication and discipline.
Blogging requires organization and scheduling.
Blogging requires creativity and critical thinking skills.
Blogging requires communication and literacy skills.
Blogging has made quite a few people quite a bit of money.
If those aren't things you'd put on your resume, you must be over qualified, you Rocket Scientist you.
If this still doesn't satisfy you, I'll have you know that I blog for the fun of it. I blog for myself, because I know one day I'll be looking back and be so glad all of this is recorded. My kids will be able to see that hey, maybe their mom did understand a little of what they're going through. If my blog can mean something to someone, I've achieved my goal. I don't freak out about the number of followers or pageviews, but I do love and cherish each one of them. I'm so thankful for the lovely people I've met via this blog. They've kept me upbeat, they've supported me though some of the worst times in my life, and I honestly feel like this corner of the internet is a little home for me. I can't say thank you enough.
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What blogging myths have you heard?
Ever been stereotyped like this?
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Source:
http://www.jessbuckley.com/2013/07/blogging-myths-busted-and-why-i-do-it.html