#had like 2 different tiktoks about it come across my fyp and i literally just opened the app

[taylorsabrina]

wait... people on tiktok are only just coming to the realization that that impractical jokers prank (or whatever it was) they played on sabrina... isn't actually funny at all??

[amonicano]

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram?

This topic honestly brings me back memories of the time I actually used to blog back in early secondary school, and no, I am not going to expose my actual blog to you guys here because just no. I ain't got time to feel embarrassed because I have my FYP to deal with :").

Anyway, let's get back to the question by starting of with the definition of blog and its origins.

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Blogging seemed to have been replaced by the development of social media, video sharing, and streaming (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch, Facebook). However, in my opinion, I do not believe that blogging has truly been replaced but instead, it has evolved.

What is blogging?

A blog is a type of online journal where people write about things that are important to them. Many individuals use it as a journal, some even blog for a living. There are many different kinds of reasons why people blog:

· Expressing their feelings

· Sharing interesting knowledge they have learned and wishes to learn together with the rest of the world

· Making a profit out of it

· Supporting their current business

· Starting travel blogs to travel and documenting the world.

History of Blog

The word "blog" is actually a short form from its original name, "weblog". In the mid-1990s, online diaries grew into personal websites, which became blogs. Because there were limited materials on the internet at the time, people posted regular updates about their personal lives, things they were interested in, etc. By the late 1990s, blogging systems had emerged to enable people to post their blogs without having to bother about coding. In 1998, Open Diary debuted, followed by Blogger, LiveJournal and then the current Tumblr.

Has TikTok and Instagram replaced blogging?

Back when I used to blog, it was really tiring to actually put in a lot of effort because I always had to think about the kind of content I would like to post, alongside with images and videos.

It is a known fact that technology is indeed disruptive. The social media format has dominated all other formats of blog delivery over the last decade. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms did not become famous by focusing just on photos and videos. Their popularity stems from the social media format, where discussion, collaboration and interaction thrive.

Let's first talk about Instagram and then the annoying TikTok

1. Instagram

Instagram was created in 2010 and it first started out as a place for people to share contents of their daily lives. It could be a picture of you breakfast, lunch, dinner, a picture of your cat sleeping, or even a picture of you and your friends clubbing like mad people at the nightclub. Bloggers used Instagram as a way to promote their blogs, however, it was not really successful as Instagram does not allow captions to have clickable links (Unlike Facebook). At the most these bloggers could do was to put "Link in bio" as their caption so viewers will have to go to their profile for the link (A pain in the butt really -_-, and it is)

In this current generation, Instagram has transformed into a platform of highly curated images that literally looked like they are straight out of a magazine. People who took advantage of this platform became Instagrammers, influencers and content creators. Some bloggers may have migrated to instagram but honestly speaking, reading an instagram post is so much different from reading an actual blog.

2. TikTok

Before I start explaining about TikTok, I would like to clarify that I am NOT a fan of TikTok. Reason being is that I always come across cringy and stupid videos which made me question the amount of stupidity these kind of "content creators" have. 

Anyway, TikTok was created in 2016 and it allows people to create and share a 15 second video about anything. Yes, literally anything. They can either be  interesting to watch or just not interesting to watch at all. Younger kids in this generation love watching or creating TikTok content so much because their attention span is just that short. If you ask them to read a detailed blog, they’ll most likely going to say “It’s boring...” and then proceed to do their own thing. 

Now, comparing blog to TikTok, there’s no way anyone can recreate a blog into a 15 second video because THAT’S JUST IMPOSSIBLE. If someone is able to do this, they are doing it wrong, UNLESS, they make it into different episodes (I guess you can say it like that?)

Also, if you haven’t noticed, Instagram also have this video feature called Instagram Reels, which is, you could say, it’s a ripoff of TikTok.

So where does this leave blogging?

(Yes, the gif above says “If you say blogging is dead, I will slice you into salami pieces)

I will say it again: Blogging is not dead, it has just evolved. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have become more accessible as a microblog. To do an actual blog, you have to create a domain, pay the host, finding the perfect theme and widgets to suit your blog. Compare to those microblogging platforms, all you need to do is just to sign up and you are ready to post anything. 

Even for vlogging, basically blogging but in a video format, can easily reach out to a bigger audience because the audience are already there. 

So for people like me who love to read and write a lot (I don’t read and write as much now because I’m a design student oops), they would actually start blogging and share whatever that was on their mind and then publish it to the audience who share the similar love for reading and writing. 

And that being said, what do you think about this topic?

Reference link:

Blog Tyrant 2021, What is a blog (And why you should start one in 2021), viewed 5 October 2021, <https://www.blogtyrant.com/what-is-a-blog/>

Geyser, W 2021, What is TikTok? – The Fastest Growing Social Media App Uncovered, viewed 5 October 2021, <https://www.virlan.co/education/what-has-replaced-blogging-is-blogging-still-relevant-in-2021/>

Hadian, S 2021, What Has Replaced Blogging – Is Blogging Still Relevant In 2021?, viewed 5 October 2021, <https://www.virlan.co/education/what-has-replaced-blogging-is-blogging-still-relevant-in-2021/>

Nagaraz, P 2020, Why TikTok,YouTube, and Instagram can never “kill blogging”, viewed 5 October 2021, <https://newslanded.com/2020/07/19/why-tiktok-youtube-and-instagram-can-never-kill-blogging/>

Shout Me Loud 2021, What is blogging, viewed 5 October 2021, <https://www.shoutmeloud.com/blogging>