Macalua.com

You knew that all along, but here’s the validation you probably were looking for:

A new survey finds that 50 percent of bloggers blog as a form of self-therapy. In fact, according to a survey conducted by AOL and Digital Marketing Services, a research firm specializing in Web-based surveys, therapy is a big motivator for bloggers, more so than politics, news, and/or gossip.

“What we’ve noticed is that bloggers aren’t necessarily wannabe journalists, or people out to break news or get noticed by the public. They’re writing for themselves, and their blogs serve as a recreational and therapeutic outlet for their thoughts,” said Bill Schreiner, vice president, AOL Community, in a statement. “In a way, blogs serve as oral history. When it comes to sharing blogs and reading other people’s blogs, we like to connect with people, learn about their lives, and find common ground.”

Other survey findings are in step with the self-therapy theme. For example, 54 percent of those polled say they like to share their thoughts and feelings with others. And in times of high anxiety, nearly one out of three respondents (31 percent) turn to either writing in their blog or reading the blogs of other people who are experiencing similar issues; that’s six times as many as those who prefer to seek help and counseling from a professional (5 percent).

Via MediaPost Publications.