Why do people blog?

The first time I heard of the word 'blog' was 3 years back. One of my friends asked me if I blogged. I was stupefied because at that time we were taking a bit of the good drink. I thought he was going to throw up. You know, blog... and there goes the carpet. The next day, sobered up, I googled up the word blog and immediately clicked on the link to wikipedia (Blog). Wikipedia as you all know is the source of all information for mankind.

Well I understood finally. It is basically like an online diary where people write about their personal lives or it can be about something specific like cars etc. Mind you there are some crazy ones out there too (crazy blogs). But it still hadn't answered the big question as to why do it? why blog?

I am no expert on this subject matter that delves into reasons why human beings do a particular activity. I mean this could be the thesis of a psychology major. But the reason why people blog to me is as follows:

1. You are bored -Life is mundane and you seek solace from the words spewing out of your keyboard
2. You want to get your point across- There is this burning passion or desire to let the world know of something and it will kill you unless you let the world know (by the way don't feel bad if you fall in this category- this is the same reason why writers write, musicians play music, artists make art)
3. You want to be remembered - You don't want to just another joe who lived and got forgotten, you want to give meaning to your life in every way possible.. Through your blog, you are going to show the world what a wonderful person you are.
4.You found something unique - You have discovered a new and unique way to perform an activity and it is your duty to share this with the world.
5. You love seeing your word in print - Well, technically its not print, but seeing something you scripted on a website is the best feeling in the world.
and the list goes on and on... but the basic need is the need to share. To share that information with the world.

It is a wonderful thing this sharing because normally if a person were to ask for information, it would not be so readily given but with blogs you have a plethora information with personal experiences that is at your finger tips.

So blogging for me is a new experience and I do it because of not one, but a multitude of reasons but the feeling thereafter of sharing is a nice one. You feel good. So all my blogger friends, blog away.

Dear.__________.___________

If any of you have seen the wonderful wonderful ad of dear.sophie.lee.

you must know then that if you hadn't teared up you must be made of stone or have a doctor check you out.

Honestly, I was holding back the flood gates post that ad. The tear ducts were almost about to give way to a waterfall, but I mustered up the last bit of manhood in me and had the glazed almost cried effect. They really need to put up a disclaimer sign saying Beware: watch only when alone! 

Anyways, luckily nobody noticed but even if they did, another tearjerker the good old raymond ad of the yore days, which says only real men cry! well  that ad helped us men out a bit. Needn't burst a blood vessel holding back the tears anymore.

But coming back to the point of the matter. The dear.sophie.lee ad really states the fact that we are moving into a world which is slowly but surely merging with the digital world. Although, we don't see the binary codes yet, they are slowly but surely becoming a part of our daily lives. 

Just the other day, my cousin sister had come to the house with her new born son. He is an angel and like all babies, I was trying to grab his attention (and not make him cry- he is a a bawler, but an angel nevertheless) by asking him if he wants an iphone, laptop,etc. Everyone in the family was having a nice time listening to me making a sales pitch for digital products to a 2 month old. But funny thing, in a mallu family, no one blinked ! These are not your everyday products like soaps, toothpaste, toys etc, but very sophisticated and quite expensive products. But even my technology repelling family members too are beginning to see that this is the way things are going to move forward. 

The google chrome ad has captured in essence this moment so well. It has advertised itself not just as a product of choice for tear jerking dads but also given us a lifestyle on google. A way of life with the myriad of unique products that google doles out. Not only that, it has in essence given us a manual for life with a copyright to use only google products for our life time and for generations to come.A brilliant ad. 

My point being it won't be long now, when laptops becomes cheap or even cheaper than milk! (milk now cost Rs 19 for a litre). When the day and age comes, you know whom to turn to when you type those golden words. The last time I went to my native place, I managed to rummage through some of the cupboards and came up with photos from my childhood. There were so few as compared to the present generation . The present generation will have their whole lives documented , well till the teenage years anyway. Some teens don't like being photographed by mum and dad. But the point being, life is on the fast track for these kids. They are on a whole different platform from us, they will be having a facebook account by the time they turn 1. Many of them would be blogging by the time they are 10. Some would be having their own website. Some would be ordering items from website. They are leap years ahead of so many generations before us. There are so many negative points to this acceptance of technology into our lives and our children's lives. But like the google chrome ad tells us, and this is an important lesson. The web is what you make of it. So if we start behaving responsibly on the web, it would be a wonderful world we will be leaving for the next generation. Like we should take care of the physical world be it by reducing pollution, waste, making it greener etc, so should we become more responsible for the digital world because rest assured they will be spending way more time than us on the digital world.

So let's make the best use of it. 

Love,

A tearjerker