In a story headlined “Blogs Wane as the Young Drift to Sites Like Twitter,” a New York Times piece (that I read on-line) didn’t have to declare that blogs were dead (although they’re not as dead as newspapers). Just saying the young were moving off blogs, thus signifying a lack of coolness, was enough.
The story’s first quote makes the trend perfectly clear. A kid in high school declares: “I don’t use my blog anymore.”
That’s good, because his parents are using theirs.
A recent Pew survey that says while it may not be cool for the young, it’s the middle-aged folks who think blogs are just damn groovy.
In the age demo 46-55, the bloggers nearly doubled from six percent to 11 percent. And the senior bloggers (65-73 year olds) rose two percent to 8 percent.
In all, 19 percent of bloggers are over 46. More than a third of the bloggers are 35-plus.
Blogging is quickly becoming old farts’ territory.
No wonder young farts prefer tweeting.
I’m thinking about the demos of all this digital word-smithing as I’m about to take part in Banana 2, the confab of Asian American bloggers being held in Los Angeles.
I know a few of the bloggers who will be there. But I’m wondering if younger Asian Americans are also abandoning blogs in favor of Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook?
Do the aging demos of the new media make it the old new media?
I hope to touch on that and other topics at a morning panel on Saturday. Like whether any bloggers will ever see a $315 million payday like Arianna Huffington’s. Seems like the new media has no hesitation about exploiting writers. The entrepreneurial mindset definitely has a kinship with sweatshop management.
At least the new media tends to get diversity issues right, right? The availability of democratizing digital tools are great, and yes, we can create our own media worlds. But is that enough to take Big Media off the hook when it comes to inclusion? As a veteran journalist I’ve always been concerned about more representation in the mass media. I’m concerned that the new media merely creates digital ghettoes while our voices, faces and concerns remain left off the mainstream.
I’m on the second panel which should begin around 9:30 at the CBS Studio Center at 4024 Radford Avenue in Studio City.
If you’re around, come on down to Banana 2.
