I found this recent article on Yahoo News. The article is called “Farewell, Blogs! Your Days Are Numbered.” It is about a Pew Internet report that indicates that blogging is a dying medium. The report provides information on Internet habits in 2010 and states that “only half as many online teens work on their own blog as did in 2006, and Millennial generation adults ages 18-33 have also seen a modest decline.” The article suggests that a reason for the demise of blogging is due to the boom in social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. Both sites have been described as microblogging services. It seems people have simply switched to an easier-to-use, multifaceted service. The article goes on to discuss the past use of blogs by companies and how a shift toward Facebook would be more beneficial for their business. Companies need to understand that online media is not just a podium from which they can announce things, which is why blogging is so weak. Creating a page on Facebook allows businesses to interact with customers in multiple ways like offering product information, answering questions instantly, fostering discussions, and creating games within the page. What the article is saying is that with these options companies can increase interest in their products and services far beyond what could be offered by a mere blog posting.
I think this was a very interesting piece. I was shocked to hear that the number of online teens working on blogs has declined. I know more people now writing blogs than I did back in 2006 when I was in high school. Also my little brother and a few of his friends, who are in high school, write blogs. I know my friend’s younger sibling and her friends keep blogs as well. Blogging I think is a great creative outlet for teenagers and hopefully the numbers don’t keep decreasing. I do agree, though, that from a business perspective having a Facebook would be better than a blog. The fact that it can offer more ways to connect to their audiences is key. Personally if I was interested in finding out information on a company I wouldn’t think to check to see if they had a blog but I would definitely check for their Facebook page.
What do you guys think? Do you think blogs are a dying medium? As Facebook and other social media sites gain popularity with teens, which are considered types of blogs, are there still any unique benefits of blogging?
I have never really read blogs, nor do I really know people that write blogs. This article was interesting to get a better idea about what is going on in the blogging community. I can see how the rise of social networks may bring about some drop in blog usage because people can post their thoughts and feelings instantly, but such a drop is rather surprising!
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