I did not write in this blog for quite a while, but when I did feel the urge to write, I was wondering what’s my motivation? a way express myself? trying to connect with the outside world? How is it that I’m hardly writing on Facebook, but yet I write posts about motorcycles and sound equipment. Could it be I’m on a desert island and these posts are like a message in a bottle not knowing who will read them?
I searched Google Scholar and started my investigation. Gill, Nowson, & Oberlander (2009) postulates that people blog in ways that reflect their personality:
- Neurotic individuals use blogs to vent emotions
- Extraverts to share life and connect
- Open people to discuss hobbies
- Conscientious ones describe daily routines
- Agreeable people express positivity
Rather than pretending, what you see in a blog is a true reflection of the blogger.
Another article by Li, D. (2005) supports the conclusions of the previous article about personal motives. It identifies seven main reasons for blogging:
- Self-documentation
- Improving writing
- Self-expression
- Enjoying the medium
- Sharing information
- Passing time
- Socializing
Most bloggers strongly support six of these (excluding passing time). Each motivation influences how bloggers write, interact with readers, use design, and expect an audience. For example, those who blog for self-expression tend to focus on how they present themselves and expect readership. Gender and age affect motivations: women are more likely to blog for emotional reasons, while men prefer sharing information; younger people are more driven by self-expression and passing time. Education had no clear effect.
Another study by Guadagno, Okdie, & Eno (2008) used the big five personality traits (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) to try to explain the motives for writing. Their study postulates that some of the big five personality traits, especially openness to experience and neuroticism, predict who is likely to blog. The first, Neuroticism refers to a person’s tendency to experience negative emotions more easily. People high in neuroticism are more emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress, while those low in neuroticism tend to be more emotionally stable and calm. The second, Openness to experience describes a person’s willingness to engage with new ideas, experiences, and emotions. People high in openness are typically curious, imaginative, creative, and open-minded.
People high in openness to experience and neuroticism traits are more likely to be bloggers, and for women, higher neuroticism increases that likelihood even more. These findings suggest that personality plays a key role in online self-expression through blogging.
Overall, blogging is a genuine form of self-expression shaped by individual personality. Are there other reasons for blogging? I can find at least a few more: in relation to business (Commissions, build a brand, etc.), as an occupational therapy, artistic expression, Seeking feedback or validation, Influencing opinions (Religious, nationalistic, etc.) or sparking discussions
and more. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Bibliography:
Gill, A., Nowson, S., & Oberlander, J. (2009). What Are They Blogging About? Personality, Topic and Motivation in Blogs. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 3(1), 18-25. https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v3i1.13949
Li, D. (2005). Why do you blog: A uses-and-gratifications inquiry into bloggers’ motivations (Vol. 17). Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University.
Rosanna E. Guadagno, Bradley M. Okdie, Cassie A. Eno,
Who blogs? Personality predictors of blogging, Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 24, Issue 5, 2008, Pages 1993-2004, ISSN 0747-5632, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2007.09.001.
