Why do I love Blogs so much?

(picture unrelated)

If you asked me 16 months ago what a blog was, I wouldn't have had any idea. How can this new-to-me phenomenon have such a huge place in my life right now?  Its hard to imagine that over a year ago, this hobbie/pastime didn't even exist in my world... And its not just the act of blogging that I love, I also really enjoy reading other blogs.  I have been thinking about this a lot lately as I'd really like to have a deeper understanding of why I enjoy this so much. Here are some of the reasons I have pondered:

Why I Like Blogging:
-First and foremost, I love having a chronological 'journal' of my life. Being able to express myself by combining pictures and written words is very attractive to me.
-I enjoy being able to communicate with my family in this way, I feel like they have access to my everyday life even though we live on opposite sides of the country.
-Blogging is a motivating factor for me, it gives me an excuse to take pictures, to write. Blogging about my life really helps me cherish all of my hobbies and interests.
-One aspect that really surprised me is that blogging helps me notice when my life is un-balanced. By scrolling through my posts I can easily identify which aspects of my life are being favoured, and which aspects are being ignored.


Why I Like Reading Blogs:
-I really like being able to get a glimpse into other peoples lives.  I have always enjoyed observing others, I love seeing different family dynamics, and I especially enjoy learning about different religions, hobbies and parenting styles.
-Blogs are usually very uplifting to me. I only frequent blogs that appeal to my interests and make me happy.
-I like being exposed to new things (even if its virtual ;):  I love trying new recipes and crafts, seeing how other people decorate their homes,  being inspired by the photography skills of others and much more. The blog world actually inspired me to learn how to knit!
-I feel like there is a very human aspect that is present while reading a blog as opposed to reading a general website or magazine. Most blogs that I follow are written by one person, and, usually, reflect the ideas and interests of that person.  Although there are more and more 'sponsored' posts, I still feel like blog writers are less influenced by outside forces than other forms of communication.