Fostering communication through community | Digital Letterpress: Part 9

I began this blog nine weeks ago with the observation that change will eventually take place in any area of life whether or not someone is prepared. Adapting to that change is crucial for survival and longevity. Currently, our society responds to channels that allow individuals to broadcast themselves. Blogs not only give voices to people looking for a platform, but they fill the roll of news informer and entertainer for the people reading them. As the future continues to shape technology, something like a blog will endure and adapt and continue to be the cornerstone of our digital society.

Counting video blogs (vlogs), blogging has become a way of life for some people. Why? The answer lies in the same places as many of my other topics the past few months. Blogging fosters community. When people feel as though they belong to something bigger than themselves, they support it and invest themselves in it. Blogging not only gives the writer a sense of achievement by having a voice, but it gives the audience something to engage with. It gives them topics, opinions, beliefs to align with. Blogs, more than mainstream news, are about creating connections and relationships.

Vlogging on YouTube has also allowed for community creation as well as entertainment. Individuals suddenly can become their own video content creator, actor, reporter, entertainer, celebrity, etc. It’s taking the need for a television network or program and throwing it out the digital window. Anyone with strong, unique ideas, and the will to generate a following can make a living out of it. At the end of the day, that’s a neat thing.

Since the foundation of this medium is community, it will adapt and endure what the future holds. It will find new ways to reach audiences and capture their attention.

I would like to thank everyone for reading my thoughts the past few months. I don’t know how frequent I will be posting for a bit, but I will keep the ideas coming. As we move forward, continue to think about ways technology can encourage communication, connection, community. For those invested in communicating, it’s up to us to shape how we connect with one another.

At the end of the day, growing together and learning from each other, should be our ultimate goal.