In recent years online blogs (short for “weblogs”) have rapidly been catching on with older writers, and with good reason. After all, most blogs are simply a new online way to tell stories in the form of a journal which regularly gets added to. They can be mentally stimulating, amusing and informative, a forum to preserve memories, and a great way to stay in touch with friends and the wider world. Starting a blog is easy and free. Blogging platforms like Wordpress and Blogger have become so simple to use that no special knowledge beyond typing and extremely basic computer skills are needed. It’s almost too easy to sign up for an account, choose a design, and start blogging.

And here’s the rub. There are now more than 400 million blog sites in the world, more than a third of them created in the last year alone. How on earth do you decide which are worth paying any attention to, and even if they are interesting and useful how much time are you prepared to spend reading other people’s thoughts online? Some more statistics: around 30% of new blogs are created and run by people over 55; more than two thirds of blogs are abandoned within a year of starting them; more than two thirds of blogs are regularly read by fewer than ten people. So unless you have something really important to say, or are perfectly happy writing just for yourself and a few close friends, it’s worth thinking very carefully whether the time you might spend writing your blog might not be better spent going for a walk or helping out in a local charity.

But don’t let that put you off. There are many original and worthwhile bloggers out there offering stimulating and fascinating thoughts about issues of interest and concern for older readers. There are also some useful “Best Blogs for Seniors” review sites, some of which are listed here. And if for whatever reason you feel moved to write your own blog, for goodness sake go ahead and do it.