Roughly 15 years ago, online blogs and vlogging spread rapidly across the internet and media. These information outlets are regularly updated webpages or channels, and are usually run by one person and written or managed in an informal style. From providing business and financial blog tips to the typical family channel, these open sites provide personalized information from real people with real lives, without having to be accessed through a search engine. Despite this, within the past few years, the internet has seen a significant decline in the amount of daily, updated pages or channels that actually get viewers. There are many contributing factors to this noticeable decrease, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the popularity of new social media apps.
In the 2010s, social media apps such as Facebook and Tumblr were often used to share content, as well as platforms to connect with others. Blogs started to develop and expand from these apps, and similarly were also turned to for advice and information. These sources allowed anyone to publish diary style posts or videos to connect with others, typically providing guidance and personal opinions on a plethora of topics, and allowed for a closer sense of human connection.
AI has been the one of the main contributors as to why there has been a major fall-off in the amount of bloggers. AI chatbots provide easily accessible information online, canceling out the need for popular “lazy” bloggers. These “lazy” bloggers are those who produce posts without necessarily putting in a lot of effort, simply just publishing their thoughts. Now, instead of getting feedback and advice from actual people, most will ask AI for their input. This detrimental change on receiving information has had a significant impact on human connection. At the same time, AI sources like ChatGPT, also give a wide variety of information while providing it in a comforting and seemingly trustworthy tone, resulting in an unnecessary need for blogs. Additionally, ChatGPT provides short, simple and accurate answers instead of having to read a page long summary of unnecessary ideas just to get to one point.
Alongside the significant decline in blogging, video blogging, more popularly known as vlogging, has also surprisingly decreased in popularity. Vlogs are typically long-form videos, ranging anywhere from five minutes to 45 minutes. Popular vlogging channels produce content that is typically focused on lifestyle, travel or timed challenges. However, recently, like AI, short-form videos have been in the internet spotlight. These short videos range anywhere from five to 30 seconds, and are typically made on trending social media apps like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube shorts. The quick clips are extremely fast paced, which allows the brain and the attention span to not actually focus on the content that one is receiving. According to a study in an article published by the Oxford Blue, close to 50% of TikTok users surveyed thought that a video over a minute long was “stressful.” Therefore, long vlogs are not able to keep people’s attention. Short attention spans are much more widespread and people do not want to read or watch things that take up too much time.
Although the idea that blogging and vlogging may have lessened within the past few years may seem convincing, some studies actually contradict this idea. Within the past year, because of the massive increase in AI, some actually start to not trust on the information that they’re receiving. Humans producing actual, high-quality content that takes time and effort increases credibility and likeliness to be trusted by viewers, for both vlogging and blogging. In a study produced by Search Engine Land, 54% of people still read a blog at least once a week, showing that not all hope is lost for these sources.
All in all, social media is ever-changing and is constantly producing content that will appeal to the majority of viewers, with whatever means it takes. As the internet and different technology develops, people will have to adapt to new ways of communicating and receiving information to and from others.
