Events in the past twenty-four hours have stirred up issues I thought had already been resolved. This made for a challenging day and currently consumes my thoughts. But the personal nature of the emotional storm caused me to question the personal boundaries of an online journal.
Where’s the proverbial line? How much information is too much? With vulnerability comes personal connection and the chance to turn our experiences into something greater than can help someone else in need. At the same time, it’s very clear and much-discussed how the social network age has blurred the standards of self-disclosure. Folks air their dirty laundry with pride, resulting in entertainment, mockery, and sometimes even growth and support.
I don’t know how to decide. I don’t know the complete scope of my readership. You’re a small group, but there are cans of worms that I don’t have the energy to open in the event that someone dear to me takes something to heart. I’ve seen molehills erupt into mountains and these days, I prefer to chose my battles wisely. (p.s.- can I possibly fit more clichés into such a small space???)
Perhaps it would be clearer if my blog had a specific purpose…. how to get the best deals from coupons or tasty recipes or simple ideas to save the earth or book reviews or traffic reports for dogs or something focused with direction. But that’s a)boring, b)done better by others, and c)not true to my style. I started this as a mass email of sorts- a way to keep up with my scattered loved ones (in the days before facebook). It was also a good way for me to keep a record of life happenings while keeping the writing skills flowing. While my ego would love to regularly publish something worthy of public interest, I’m simply not that interesting.
I might be, if I wrote the matters near and dear to my heart. But my hesitancy to be vulnerable combined with cautionary measures to avoid unnecessary life drama suppress that kind of true journaling. And it brings us back to THE question: where are the boundaries? What is a healthy level of disclosure? What criteria help guide subject matter and which details to include?
The answer is unclear to me. Thoughts welcome- from those who blog and those who read. We can discover together. Isn’t that the purpose, after all?
3 thoughts:
I think that there is a line and its whatever you are comfortable with. I don't agree with sharing everything with everyone especially putting it on the internet where it can be seen by all forever. Perhaps you should keep a separate private journal for your own thoughts and then keep your blog as a more open place to express your feelings, such as frustration over Michigan drivers! Hope this helps!
There is such liberation in anonymity. Blogging is the perfect way to vent, sort out problems and get unbiased feeback. If this blog can't serve you in that way I recommend starting another.
I have a very hard time with this "hidden line." I tend to tell the world EVERYTHING! My own blog (www.simplyrebekah.wordpress.com) might not seem that way, but my fabebook statuses sure do!
I think that figuring out the purpose of your blog might be the bigger question. And then you simply have to let some things go. I am a fan of venting, but airing out your dirty laundry for EVERYONE to read might not be smart. (Although I am super curious what this fight was all about! Call me! hahaha!)
I would say error on the side of caution always. I just got "in trouble" for something I wrote on my blog about white trash and McDonalds. Apparently, my MIL was not pleased with that statement. *sigh*
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