The blogosphere has seen many phases, we know.
Back in the day, we had the avant-garde phase; in 1999, there were only 23 blogs. However, it was in the 2000s that things started to escalate. Those who experienced that era know it well—blogs were delightful, with a distinctly personal and intimate character, akin to an open diary. They communicated with the only intention of sharing, and creating records, without an ulterior motive or strategy behind every word. There was no planning, no traffic strategy, let alone brand archetype construction.
Between 2005 and 2008, blogs gained more visibility due to their organic impact on the audience. I remember in 2007 I would never buy a shampoo without first researching what my favorite bloggers had to say about it. Of course, they didn’t earn a penny from it; they bought the product and provided a sincere review. I recall a brand called Bepantol, originally a baby ointment, but bloggers recommended it for hair treatment. Due to the surge in product sales, the brand revamped its packaging, price, and brand strategy, transforming from a modest diaper ointment to a complete hair treatment line—all thanks to bloggers who didn’t earn a dime from it.
We know where this was heading, right? Around 2008, blogs started being seen as an opportunity for manufacturing value for brands, becoming just another source of traditional information. Naturally, this led to them becoming dull, predictable, and repetitive.
Currently, there is a massive influx of blogs, especially corporate ones, with a singular purpose: conversion. Few personal blogs offer a genuine perspective, with the aroma and taste of real life, with its unpredictability and unique perspective.
Contents with personal experience are often found on other platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Do you need help with the introduction between two cats? There are hundreds of YouTube channels providing tutorials, but maybe two or three blogs in Portuguese with quality and in-depth content. Moving to a not-so-popular country? Two or three blogs with posts from 2015 might be the deepest and most personal content you’ll find. I feel like most of the content on the internet today is superficial, offering obvious advice that barely extends beyond page 2. The content caters to the masses — shallow, obvious, and cliché.
Corporate blogs seem more like copy-paste with word substitutions, almost like what we used to do in school when copying an assignment. The worst part is that it works for them: they sell. We are neck-deep in superficial, obvious, and repetitive information that feeds on itself. The writing for these blogs often follows a similar pattern, produced by non-experts. It’s common to reach the end of an article and realize it wasn’t written by an expert but by a journalist.
And to add to the mix, we have the arrival of ChatGPT.
As a frequent user and consumer of content produced by ChatGPT, its modus operandi is easily identified.
Working in human resources, I see how the automation of this tool, when not used carefully, makes us miss opportunities. When someone applies for a job, a cover letter is frequently requested. This document is a chance for the candidate to stand out beyond the resume, showcasing enthusiasm, energy, and motivation for the company and the open position. Where’s the problem? It’s when people use standard, robotic, and predictable technology to try to surprise, evoke emotion, and captivate. Needless to say, this doesn’t work.
I read several cover letters a day, and currently, almost 100% of them are written by ChatGPT — meaning they all say the same thing. Much like the texts from corporate blogs, just changing the subject and nouns. There’s no enthusiasm, colour, personality, drama… life.
Getting a job is hard work. And worse, it’s unpaid. Often, we don’t even receive a response to an application that took hours to prepare. ChatGPT has been a lifesaver for this.
Yeeah. We can’t write enthusiastic, energetic, and personalized letters to every job offer, Karina, wake up.
Yes, I know.
This complexity between these two choices reminds me of the teachings of Buddhism, the philosophy that seeks the “middle way” as the key. Buddhism teaches us to navigate between extremes, find harmony amid polarities, and embrace the serenity that resides in balance.
But there’s also no perfect balance, little grasshopper.
Chat-GPT plays its role in content generation beautifully, but the other genuinely human, sensitive, and touching part (fortunately) cannot be replaced.
Don’t forget to do your part in the work, human.
Only then can you extract the best from these digital tools. The magic happens in the pursuit (not attainment) of the subtle balance between these two polarities.