Blogging is good for you after all

Via Steve Bridger's link on Twitter I found proof that blogging is good for you. After the news about early deaths of paid bloggers - not the same thing as voluntary bloggers - this is quite a relief! If I'd talk as much in a meeting as I'd blog I'd feel like I'd be boring everyone to death - so that wouldn't be healthy for others. With my blog I feel everyone's free to read or not and I tend to blurt out. It's become really an enjoyable habit for me, I like the writing process and it feels like producing something tangible when you press publish and 'view your blog'. Talking about your life and issues is healthy but blogging too.

From the article: "Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits." There is research ongoing into the neurological underpinnings. “You know that drives are involved [in blogging] because a lot of people do it compulsively,” Flaherty notes. "Also, blogging might trigger dopamine release, similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art."

At times I'm relating blogging and other web2.0 web hypes like twitter to the pyramid of Maslow. Maslow developed the pyramid as a hierarchy of needs. People search to fulfill higher needs when the lower needs, basic needs like shelter, food etc have been fulfilled. The highest need in the current pyramid is self realization. Blogging may be a form of self realization in our times or a new form of self expression to the world - a creativity need. Maybe a new top on the pyramid?