As we all know this is the time of year we all look to the future. We often wonder what it will bring and we look back at the past year and contemplate how it could have been different or better or just more. But more of what? The world stage, Europe and the United States seem to be in this grip of darkness, teetering on the edge of a dystopian nightmare. The news is over whelming with it’s daily onslaught of violence, corruption, tragedy and despair. One is tempted to tune out, but what will happen if we all turn away?
So it is no wonder that getting up and sitting in front of the computer is becoming increasingly difficult. I have been blogging for a number of years now, but I am often unsure of why I do it. My regular readers know I have spoken of my love of fashion and the art of making a garment. The expression of creativity and individualism that is at the heart of fashion. I love the excitement of the shows and attending Fashion Week. I love going backstage and seeing all the chaos and then being front of stage and seeing it all come together. I love shooting street style and photography in general. I have met some wonderful people through blogging and I learned some new skills. These are all the things I like about blogging.
But, there is the other side of blogging. And I am not sure if blogs will even be around in a decade. The frenetic pace of change is much like the news cycle—overbearingly overwhelming. Magazines have been around 100 years and as we know are challenged. Blogs have been around a decade and are already in danger of becoming obsolete. Social media is touted as the way to go, but as we have seen from the last election it can be exploited and it seems nothing on it is real.
Personally I feel like I could delete both my Facebook and Instagram accounts and it would have almost zero effect on my life
And for bloggers and influencers the grand daddy of them all Instagram is now just one big advertisement with nothing but fake followers, fake comments, fake likes, and almost no integrity. Personally I feel like I could delete both my Facebook and Instagram accounts and it would have almost zero effect on my life. I am tired of looking at perfect people with perfect lives trying to sell me something.
And once one has mastered all the things one has to know to be an effective blogger, it is not enough, now you have to know how shoot and edit video with everything shifting to this “newish” platform. A platform where 400 hours of video are uploaded every minute. And an algorithm determines everything, and it is constantly changing. Where does it end?
There is also the sheer amount of hours one has to put in to maintaining a blog. All the hats one has to wear: writer, editor, art director, photographer, marketer and model. Then there is the issue of FOMO and having to keep up with the Jones so to speak. To have to always look good, to arrange photoshoots, keep up with the trends and having the clothes to do so. It can be exhausting. And then when you add in the self serving behavior of fellow bloggers and influencers; you know, the ones that comment back on their own blogs when you leave a comment as opposed to coming to your blog and reading a post and leaving a comment.
And the behavior on YouTube is not much better
Or people on Instagram who follow just to unfollow as soon as you follow them back which has led to almost no one following anyone anymore. And the behavior on YouTube is not much better. Comment on a YouTube video? Ninety eight percent of the time they do not bother checking out your channel, let alone leaving a comment. We keep hearing “engage, engage, engage”. Well engagement goes both ways. And this is where engagement falls on it’s face. People “engage” on their own content. A dead end it seems to me. Add it all up and you can see how one can become burnt out.
So yes there are days when I am just tired. Tired of sitting in front of the computer, tired of looking at myself and editing photos of myself, and some days even tired of editing photos of street style and fashion. Tired of watching the news, tired of the news saying what a great economy we have when it is anything but. This great economy is all smoke and mirrors. Tired of seeing happy, healthy, shiny, attractive people living in beautiful homes talking about all the things they buy and then in the next breath saying they need therapy because they get negative comments on their YouTube channel.
And it is this disconnect, from people living these kinds of lives and the self absorption that lies beneath this sea of discontent
And then when they are in therapy speaking of an early memory of feeling rage as a four year old in preschool when someone took away the toy they were playing with. I could save this person a lot of money—get over it. And it is this disconnect, from people living these kinds of lives and the self absorption, that lies beneath this sea of discontent which has recently raised it’s head in France and threatens to sweep everything away.
What say you? Do you think influencing, social media and platforms like Instagram and YouTube are making this disconnect worse? How do you feel about blogging, influencing, social media, and the world at large, or the future? I personally do not have a problem with commerce and people buying things and sharing this, but more the hypocrisy and the mind blowing cluelessness.
No, I probably won’t quit blogging I do get some joy out of it. And my answer to burnout is to just push through. But it is getting more difficult to stay enthused about it all. I guess I will focus on what I like and try to dismiss what I don’t…if I can. Or maybe I just need a long nap.
17 comments
There is truth in your sayings but just realize not all people are being hypocrites,some are, some aren’t. So I suggest you forget them and do what makes you happy. After all , you are your own friend to make you happy.
The Glossychic
Wonder Cottage
That post resonated with me so much. That’s why I took a break and now that I’m back I did make some changes. One of them will for sure hurt my blog but I don’t care. I do post on instagram rarely but I cannot be present on that platform every single day. It’s just bad for my mental health. I do appreciate bloggers who are making valuable content but don’t really care about most of it. So girl protect your energy and take a break if needed and know that in the end none of this is important.
xo
Pinksole
I love this post. Whenever I feel burnt out, I step back and reevaluate things . I do think all this social media is bad for ones mental health and it’s good to take a break. No one has a perfect life, no matter what they try to sell you on social media. No one person has it all.
I quote you word by wprd, on IG almost everithing is a fluke.
Of course I love getting comments on my posts and likes on Instagram etc.. but I am no influencer. I blog for myself.. as a journal of sorts.. sure there is a sponsored post here or there but those are also rare..
I know where you come from though.. it’s always great to take a little break.. social media can be a very toxic place full of pretenders
https://henatayeb.blogspot.com/2019/01/reading-in-2018.html
Yes I totally agree with you that Instagram and YouTube are definitely widening the gap and making the disconnect worse. I actually had to take a break from Instagram for awhile because I felt overwhelmed by the fakeness. I understand where you’re coming from about feeling burned out but I hope you won’t give up blogging. Honestly I just blog for myself now. I do minimal promotion and I’m still getting readers. I think it’s just about building up a base and attracting the right people.
You are not alone in this dear Allie. I and a few bloggers I know can definitely relate to this post. It is getting hard to be enthusiastic, but I sit down and remind myself why I started blogging and continue doing it. Ha!! Good to hear that you’re still with us. I enjoy your fashion week shots.
https://www.missymayification.co.uk
So I’ve been trying to comment for the past few hours lol, but it’s nice to see that many of us agree and have felt the same thing. I mainly do the whole blogging thing for myself, but the blogger sphere has changed so much in the past 5+ years. I think because of that it is so easy to get lost in the superficial aspect of it. I am grateful for bloggers like you who really take the time to make connections that are much more meaningful, so thank you! With that said, take a break if you have to! I’ve done it so many times lol. Happy Monday! ♥
PerlaGiselle | iamperlita.com
I hardly go on my Instagram. Like ever these days but when I do I’ve noticed how much it effects me now. Mostly FOMO but I’ve also noticed some obsessive tendencies when it comes to an outfit or an accessory I see and I JUST NEED it or something like it. I don’t know if this has always been a thing for me or if it’s just been recent because like you say, Insta is just a massive advert for products these days. Everything is fake and insincere. It’s just too hard to keep up with. I feel awful because I’m never on and thus not supporting other bloggers and I start getting paranoid that such absences are noticed. It’s very stressful and so unnecessary. I don’t know how much longer social media can stay strong for. All the fakes can’t really be removed, not entirely because if they do the whole system just falls apart because it was all built and based on a giant lie! LOL
Sxx
It can all get really overwhelming- and then you sit back sometimes and think, “FOR WHAT, THOUGH?!” It can be super frustrating and disheartening.
I’m of the school of thought that the only platform you can control is the one you own- and that’s your blog. Not Insta, not FB, etc. You control what content gets served up there, for how long, in what order, etc. And there’s power in that. While it might seem like blogs are dying, I think that those of us who keep up our blog space are going to see a return on investment when Instagram (which is becoming more like FB every day) is finally dethroned (which it will- it might be years from now, but it will).
I love your blog, Allie- you have a fresh, direct voice that I connect with. I hope you know that!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Such an amazing article !
I often feel like you do ! Sometimes I just want to quit my blog and I wonder why I do it. And then after a break I realize I love blogging too much and it brings me happiness.
But I really understand your thoughts sometimes I feel like people don’t want to share anymore.
I;m glad others bloggers think like I do.
And yes Instagram makes me sick sometimes too.
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
You certainly make a lot of sense in this post Allie, and I’m sure we can all relate in some way to some of the points mentioned. I think every industry has its pros and cons, though this is escalated within the blogging world due to the super quick pace that the industry is changing at. I’m so pleased to hear you won’t be quitting blogging though; I really enjoy visiting your blog!
aglassofice.com x
I went off FB for good last year and I haven’t regretted it. I am now toying with the idea of quitting IG because of the issues that you have described… I don’t think that it’s a platform that will stand the test of time. Blogs I could see last longer though because a website can host any kind of content.
ANOUK
A very insightful look at social media and its interface with both ordinary and blogging life!!!
That you love observing the start-to-finish backstage through onstage aspects of fashion and beauty is very evident in your blog and vlog posts.
I think the tyrant trumphole administration has caused hundreds of millions of people worldwide to feel depressed.
I also think Instagram and YouTube both can both contribute to making disconnects worse, but the degree to which they do probably varies greatly from person to person, and from one field of interest to another.
Hypocrisy and cluelessness are not hard to find. Both can be found in the White House and in the Senate in spades.
Your blog and vlog posts on the other hand are an uplifting treat to read, look at and watch.
Happy napping! I love your blog 😀
Yes just stay focused on what you love and what makes you feel good. It’s my same feeling but I love being creative and create contents, share myself.. so I will continue do it.
Happy New Year , may it be full of your dreams!
xx Dasynka
http://dasynka.com
I agree with Anouk. I really think in a few years whatever fame, or infamy, FB or Instagram brings will be long forgotten. I would continue with blogging because there you have control and ownership of our own content, brand and relationships. People who follow your blog will be more loyal in the long run and likely to follow you to whatever new projects you embark upon. FB, Instagram, or whatever comes next, they only help reinforce a brand that achieves maturity on your own site. If you don’t enjoy it don’t do it. Instagram doesn’t do much for me, but as a photographer I find platforms like Flickr better for building professional relationships and connections. I enjoy Twitter so I use it. When I stop enjoying it; I’ll stop using it.
Blogging is a dying business and one of the reasons why it’s dying is because there are so much drama and dishonesty in it. There are some who stayed true but they don’t get anywhere and get drowned out by the ones who aren’t and readers see through bullshit these days. I pretty much quit reading blogs myself.