[batista]

>Stated alternately, there's an awful lot of people online with regularly updated blogs, twitter accounts and other social profiles who seem particularly compelled to tell me how amazing their lives are.

Yes, though chances are if they have "regularly updated blogs, twitter accounts and other social profiles" and especially if they "seem particularly compelled to tell how amazing their lives are", then they are miserable.

[koide]

Not necessarily miserable, they might be just good marketers creating an online audience for themselves to advance their careers or feed their egos.

Fun stories about fun lives (fictitious or real) are something people use for entertainment nowadays. You could call it "reality blogging."

[batista]

<b>Not necessarily miserable, they might be just good marketers creating an online audience for themselves to advance their careers or feed their egos.</b>

If someone needs "ego feeding" then he is miserable enough in my books...

[koide]

Then most people in the world are miserable in your books. Becoming egoless is a hard and long road that not even everyone pursues, let alone achieve.