Over the weekend, the New York Times ran an article suggesting that “In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop” off the back of the recent tragic deaths of two high-profile bloggers.
Yet heart-related conditions — some fatal — can afflict anyone in any profession, and there’s really no reason why bloggers should be any more at risk than others.
In any case, the term “blogger” covers such a huge range of people that it’s simply not sensible to suggest that they’re any more at risk from health problems than anyone else.
Some blog part-time, as a hobby, while holding down some other job or running a home. Others are full-time, professional bloggers, some who work longer hours than others. Some bloggers find additional work as a result of their blogging.
Many computer users would probably tell you that they should pay more attention to taking regular breaks and exercising during the day. Long hours of computer use isn’t a specific trait of the blogger — it’s part of modern society.
A lot of professionals in both media and technology sectors work very long hours, and would probably tell you that they should pay more attention to diet, “work-life balance”, family, relaxation, and so on. That’s not specific to bloggers either.
Unfortunately, the cruel nature of heart disease is that they can affect the youngest, most healthy people as well as everyone else. It doesn’t discriminate based on what job you do, though the way you live your life can have a positive or negative effect.
Some will argue that bloggers in highly competitive fields (such as technology) will push themselves to their absolute limits, depriving themselves of sleep, nourishing food, exercise, and relationships, but that’s true of many disciplines.
Ultimately, we all have a responsibility for our own health and well-being. Bloggers need to work out the balance between the main driving forces that cause them to blog — money, fame, influence — and the rest of their life, just as any other professional must.
