It is hard to tell how much blogs have influenced my life. I'm what they call an 'early adopter' and I've been actively blogging since 2002, when I was 15.
Blogs first made their way into my life when I became politically active and then as a way to vent about random things and now as my number one source for new music.
Blogs have become my main source for news on every level. It isn't that I don't trust mainstream media, it is that I don't see my needs and interests being met by television or newspapers. Mainly because they all report on the same thing. I watch the news everyday but it is more background noise than anything else. I need alternative point of views, one that I don't get from 6 news stations which all report on the same issues, topics and do so in almost the same way. CNN, FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, & MSNBC don't cut it for me. You can tell they try to include "interesting" things in their reports like what Britney Spears is doing but seriously, WHO CARES ABOUT BRITNEY SPEARS and why are you reporting it on the NEWS!!!
I will be the first to admit that I love good gossip just like everyone else but I don't need to hear about it on my news. I stopped buying gossip rags in exchange for the FREE online blog version. Even PEOPLE has one. Has it hurt it's sales? Obviously not if they're still able to pay obscene amounts of money for pictures of 'Brangelina', J.Lo's, and Xtina's baby photos.
The main influence blogs have had on my life can be seen in my musical tastes. Beaumont, TX doesn't leave an 'alternative' music scene. Blogs helped me find music that I wasn't seeing on MTV or hearing on the radio. As I browse facebook I'm noticing people I went to HS with that left Beaumont have started to listen to better music as well. Is it the move and exposure to different places? Or their exposure to blogs. For me, both. Blogs like Stereogum and Brooklynvegan are all NYC based bloggers who are an alt. voice to the Pitchforks and Rolling Stone (magazine) out there. I get to read and hear about bands I don't hear on the radio or see on TV or in magazines and without that, I'd still be the little girl stuck on pop culture.
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To be completely honest, I dont think that blogs have affected my life that much. I read a specific blog regularly named "The Daily Kos". It's a far left blog which has been called "dangerous" by right-wing commentators like Bill O'Reilly. I find however that i dont really agree with many of the opinions there but many of the facts brought up are interesting to read.
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