Are Blogs Losing Value in a Video Age?

I have seen such a rise in video essays on YouTube recently and I love them a lot .but as a fellow blog writer, it got me thinking… everything being said in these videos are topics I’d write about here on Glossed Over, so what caused this culture shift and should I be worried about blogs being undervalued?

First, we all have issues with our attention span. Not to generalize but most people in my life have a hard time with extending their attention span past their limit, including myself. Look, I get it. In this day and age, with the media, how could we be anything but? This is the pro of a video essay, it does all of the heavy lifting for us. Reading requires effort and energy in contrast to watching a video, which feels more like a breath of fresh air.

Second, we all believe we have mastered the art of multitasking. Video essays are something you don’t necessarily have to pay attention to in order to understand what’s going on. You can play it in the background while you fold your laundry and as you’re falling asleep. Similarly to a podcast, you don’t need anything other than your ears. Every other part of you is free game.

And lastly, the obvious… literacy skills have severely declined since the pandemic. Listen, this is not just an assumption I am making but unfortunately, a fact. I am studying elementary education and we mostly talk about how literacy levels are declining because people are reading and writing less – resulting in shortcuts like AI (which is a discussion for another time). Reading comprehension is a skill in which we need to actively develop and grow, without practice, it is simply daunting to even try. Video essays are our shortcuts. No need for optional reading and no further commitment other than hitting play.

All this to say that writing is not so much seen as less valuable, but its competitors are louder. So no, blogs aren’t useless (I promise, that is not just a biased answer). But, they are no longer the default. Same as magazines or physical copies of books. Video essays don’t replace blogs however, it is a remixed version for a generation that tends to be more distracted and maybe that is okay. Blogs are still here for those who enjoy reading for fun and there is something wonderful in choosing to read.

Despite the title, video essays are not our competitors. They are great for absorbing ideas but blogs, I believe, are where people linger. Writing does not need to be louder to be relevant, it often just needs a quieter room.

So watch your video essays, because they are great. And read your blogs, because they’re great too. At the end of the day, you are absorbing information and expanding your thinking which is the most important takeaway.

Peace & Love

Krys K