The Underappreciated Impact of the Attention Redistribution Revolution - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

Newport's analysis of why social media eclipsed traditional blogs is, I think, spot on.

This attention redistribution was the hidden revolution instigated by social media. It solved a remarkably big problem facing the social internet: how to move beyond efficiently spreading bytes over networks to also efficiently spreading attention. And by doing so, it completely transformed the cultural landscape.

The social addiction created with "Like" buttons and affirmation from your friends is an incredible drug. The closest blogging could get was basic web analytics, which is nothing in comparison.