The Genuine Article
(Monkey see, Monkey do.)
Authenticity is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days, and I kind of hate it. Not only is it hard to say, but it just sounds pretentious, at least the way it’s currently being used. People talk about living authentic lives, having authentic friends, and blogging authentically. But what does that even mean? It just sounds very canned and Oprah-esque, in my opinion. An antique watch is authentic, or it’s not. Chinese food is authentic, or it’s not. People are real. Right?
As I’ve worked to improve and promote my blog these past few months, I’ve thought a lot about the issue of authenticity and what it means in the blogging world and social media. Sure, everyone wants to put their best face forward, and there’s always that delicate balance between revealing too much information and not enough. Some bloggers choose to air their dirty laundry in public and get reamed for it, while others put on bright and shiny faces, even as the very weight of the world beats down upon their shoulders, and they suffer the consequences, too. Sometimes it seems like we can’t win for losing.
This past week, I had two unusual experiences that stopped me dead in my blogging tracks and opened my eyes a bit more to the reality of social media and the online presence. One was the culmination of months of strange behavior by someone that I have watched from the relative privacy of the internet, while the other involved an online purchase that I planned to blog about. In both cases, I was left extremely disappointed, and I can’t, in good conscience, write about either in detail, for very different reasons.
And while that may sound incredibly vague and even bizarre, it’s not the first time I’ve witnessed what some would call inauthentic behavior, or for the realists among us, dishonesty.
My writing background is academic, and I’m used to citing sources and providing references for thoughts and statements that are not mine. I like to think that I bring that same sensibility to blogging, and it’s important for me to provide real and honest information and photographs. I also believe in giving credit where credit is due, and, because I read many blogs that inspire me, I will always link back to the original source. If I write a review of a product or mention another blogger, I will let the company or blogger know, usually in advance, and their response is typically very cordial. I love interacting with other bloggers and developing friendships, and when I profiled my favorite fashion bloggers (something I felt compelled to do after another disconcerting instance in the blogosphere), all five women were thrilled to participate.
While it’s easy to get hung up on readership numbers and monthly pageviews, I think it’s more important to remember why we blog and write in the first place. I love sharing pieces of my life with others, and I’m so grateful for the friends I’ve made and the followers I have. I love taking blogging classes, live, in the comfort of my home, knowing all the while that others are doing the same thing alongside me. And I love connecting with people across the world and learning about their lives and stories. This, to me, is what blogging is about.
We’re all in this together, and we need to remember that. Honesty is always the best policy, so let’s try to keep it real.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so please feel free to share them.
Oh my gosh so refreshing to hear! I looooooove honest blogs…and think that insincerity eventually really gets sniffed out. There have been times I’m so disappointed in bloggers when I discover they aren’t honest…or in myself when I realize I’m holding back on mine. We’ll work together 😉
<3 Cambria
jupefashion.blogspot.com
Yes, I definitely think it’s an easy trap for bloggers to fall into, and it’s good for us to hold each other accountable.
Great post! Honesty really is the best policy — anything else is just not worth the effort, I think!
Thank you! I agree, and I think it’s really evident when a blogger is not being transparent, especially if they write often.
I completely agree! I’m an extremely trusting person, and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been sorely disappointed in people for being untruthful and deceitful.
The big kicker for me, is when I find out people have made up stories about their kids being sick, and run fundraisers which end up being fake. I’m the first to donate to others in need, especially considering the generosity we’ve been shown in fundraising for Ellie, and I have been left feeling extremely duped on more than one occasion. That sort of behavior ruins it for everyone. I think people hide behind the “anonymity” of the internet, and think they can get away with whatever they want, not realizing that the truth always comes out.
Love this blog post, it’s good food for thought 🙂
Oh, wow, Susanne! That’s awful and I can’t believe people would pretend to have a sick child to raise money. 🙁
I’ve wondered about a few recent mommy bloggers who have just gone back to their pre-baby lives, taking outfit photos, wearing high heels, looking gorgeous, taking trips without their babies. I think I had 2 showers last week, and I have no desire to take any kind of trip away from my baby. I love being a mommy, but I haven’t found mysrlf in a position to take pretty outfits yet. I’m a SAHM– where am I going? I know some bloggers only write about the happy stuff which of course is fun to read, but sometimes you want to relate on a different level. After all these are supposed to be “real” people even if they have thousands of followers. Don’t they ever get mad at their husbands or not get a shower? As for the fashion blogging incident, that struck quite a blow to the anthro blogs didn’t it?
I think it’s a fine line. I read a well-known blog that is always happy and cheerful, and then yesterday, she posted a rant about her children. I was like, “Where did this come from?” because it seemed so out of place. I think it’s hard to find a balance sometimes, and just like with writers, it may take a while to find your true voice. I didn’t realize how much the IFB issue affected the anthro blogs. I’m so sorry. 🙁 I really don’t want my blog to be a place to vent and rant, but I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and just decided to write about it. And now I’m back to daily stuff and pretty things. 🙂
[…] and dear to my heart, and one that I take very seriously as a blogger. First, I have to say (as I’ve said in the past) that the word Authenticity makes me bristle every so slightly when I hear it, simply because it […]