Is blogging the new way to keep a diary? A look into new technologies and old methods

Author: Marianna Thomson

Abstract
There was a time when journals and diaries were the means of recording thoughts and experiences. Fast forward hundreds of years to the present day where blogging has become phenomenal over the last ten or so years and potentially the ‘norm’.
Why do people blog? What is the average age of a blogger? Is having a blog the same as keeping a journal or a diary?
Blogs come in many genres but my main focus will be the ‘personal’ blogs - similar in content to a diary or journal of yesteryear.
Memories of keeping diaries safe from prying eyes are etched into our psyche but a blog can be a public thing. Does that concern the blogger? Do they care that strangers would potentially read their private thoughts and feelings? One would have to assume otherwise because they would not have begun the blog.
But on the flipside: who reads them? Blogs by well-known or respected people are followed eagerly but what about the average Joe? Does he blog to connect with the online world? Or is it for another reason? If no one reads it do they become upset? Do they even care?
Recollecting possibly the most famous diary ever published: ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, one wonders what would the situation be if a similar occurrence happened today? Would Anne and her family be easy to track down because of modern technology? Or would have Anne survived, escaped back home once the war was over and publish her diary as a successful memoir?
Some blogs have also become very successful books and later on, films. One such example is Julie and Julia.
I propose that some bloggers do it to tell a story about their culture, experiences and life in general. Although it’s easier now to publish a book than say ten years ago, thanks to the rise in self publishing websites (lulu.com) people are turning to blogs as a way of saying ‘I’m published’. And if their blog is good, maybe even a publishing deal.
I hope my research leads to some interesting conclusions and also inspires people to take up blogging for whatever reason even if it’s to save paper or to ensure their memories will last forever.