What Blogging Really Means (Our Responsibility as Content Consumers)

By Gina | July 8, 2015

There’s a lot of ways we can define and describe blogging. From an elementary level, we can call it writing, interspersed with photography, design, video, etc. As a whole, blogging is a creative act. It is a form of expression.

As bloggers, we write to express thoughts, share ideas, inspire others, build community and enact change. Those are some of the reasons we blog. As a blogger, though, I also come into contact with other blogs and interact with their content. In this way, I am not only a content producer—I’m a content consumer.

We are all content consumers in today’s society. We are surrounded by messages, whether it is a new car advertisement on tv, an engagement post on Facebook, a blog post from your friend halfway around the world or a music poster from your favorite artist.

I personally love the messages I hear through blogs (the majority of the time, of course). It’s a way I like to find new information, new ideas and inspiration. I love, love, love connecting with other bloggers and like-minded people on this magical thing called the Internet.

But lately, I have been taking a shallow approach to content consumption. Let me explain. Right now, I love reading blogs of all kinds and genres. I love watching YouTube videos and learning new things. Hearing stories is so important. But sometimes as a blogger, I confess, I can’t keep up with all the blogs or posts as much as I’d like. I take a semi-lazy approach to reading content online. There is a difference between receiving a message or reading a blog and having that message impact you in a way that is effective and meaningful. We always talk about writing quality content. But do we ask if the content we read or watch makes a quality impact on our lives?

[bctt tweet=”You have a responsibility as a content consumer. Here’s what reading blogs really means.”]

Often, I don’t take the necessary time to read a blog and sit through to reflect on how the words on the screen are affecting me. If they are affecting me? Are we allowing ourselves to be changed by what our fellow bloggers produce? Are we bettering our routines, digging deeper spiritually, trying out that healthy recipe, switching up our exercise routine, actively building community, encouraging one another and taking action?

There is a difference between reading a blog post and being changed by it.

Blogging is indeed an art and an act of expression. But it is so much more than that.

Blogging is a call to action.

[bctt tweet=”Blogging isn’t simply writing. It’s a call to action. Let’s be changed by it. “]

Let’s not simply read to entertain ourselves, get more ideas or creative inspiration. Let’s read blogs to produce quality change in our lives and the lives the lives of others. There is so much work that goes into sharing our lives and our expertise online. It is truly a gift that we can experience so much content in one accessible place. Let’s not forget that because we can read a blog or watch a video, we have a job to do.