Blogging – a cure for British diffidence

There is a type of social commentator who lives off predicting that the internet -  and especially Web 2.0 – is leading to a ‘lack of empathy’, and making people ‘more isolated’.

And who knows, perhaps there is something missing from online friendships for people like, for example, Americans, or women, who are quite capable of talking about their feelings (even when sober!), hugging each other without embarrassment and striking up friendships just by meeting people and chatting to them.

For us awkward British men, however, Web 2.0 has been a miracle of empathy and intimacy.

Just this last week, I’ve discovered that two old friends are also bloggers, writing the kind of witty, heartfelt and personal blogs that the medium was built for.

The strange thing about it is that, all three of us coming from the same middle-class English background, we’ve seldom talked in any kind of depth about anything that actually mattered… the odd manly arm around the shoulder if something dreadful happened, a couple of gruff, awkward questions, and then back to taking the piss out of each other and arguing about politics. God forbid we might actually talk about our emotions. What if it led to (shudder) an Uncomfortable Silence.

So to follow the progress of Ben’s alien, or to discover details of Behind Blue Eyes’ relationship with his father has been a real revelation. I feel closer to them, and, knowing I’ve read it, they hopefully feel a little closer to me.

Because no-one is ever obliged to read or respond when you blog (or Tweet, or post on Facebook), there’s no risk of the kind of  awkwardness that takes place talking face to face or on the phone .

And for the uptight British male, that is a little social miracle.