A Teenage Blogger

Why Blogging Is Popular Among Teenagers And What This Means For Society

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

A lot of my teenage daughter's friends have their own blogs, and my daughter wants to start one of her own. Being an "old woman" when it comes to technology, I have no clue about blogs or the point of them, but I don't want to let my daughter do anything online that could be dangerous. Then on the other hand, she loves writing and has always kept a diary, so this seems like something that might be good for her. What exactly are blogs and how do the affect teens?

Sincerely,

Mother of a Future Blogger

Dear Mother of a Future Blogger,

Blogging is just an extension of diary writing or editorial writing -- only it's public, and it's democratized journalism. Anyone can have a column now. And sometimes it seems like they do. Technology has boomed and given everyone a venue to write what they want, when they want, and to broadcast it from their phone, their blackberry or Treo, or their computer at home, work, or school around the world at the drop of a hat -- and that technology is not just here to stay. It's going to improve so that there is even more opportunity and speed associated with broadcasting thoughts, words, and images.

As the venues for blogging, like computers, cell phones with screens, and other devices, become cheaper and more widespread, and as they have, blogging has become available to anyone, and it's changed the nature of language and the way we communicate.

Kids don't spell the way they used to. G2G, POS, and TMI all stand for words and phrases like, "got to go," "parent over shoulder," and "too much information." Blogging has proliferated these phrases and they've leaked into speech, changing the way we talk to each other.

Blogs have become venues for events, as well, like weddings where brides communicate to their family members and friends about the event before, during, and after -- and friends and family members communicate back. When people die, blogs become places where teens, not familiar with funerals the way adults are, find solace, comfort and a place to express grief, without letting anyone see their tears if they don't want.

Teen blogs:

Teen blogs -- or web logs -- are a lot like diaries used to be -- only without the lock and key and the secret hiding place. In fact, the only thing that is different is the missing lock and key and hiding place. Big time. Blogs are the exact opposite of secret diaries, because they daily musings, posted online, for anyone to see and read, and comment upon.

Like most things "internet," there are no studies or statistics about who's writing how much and what kind of content, where. The internet is so new and so explosive in it's growth, that they only way to keep track of anything related to it, is through sales that are taxed where the government has records. Because many blogs are free, it's impossible to keep track of them, given today's internet structure -- or lack of structure.

The good news about teen blogs is that it's a great creative outlet for anyone, and especially teens, that are unsure about everything going on with them and around them. Blogging can be wonderful therapy, and when others respond online, to the blogs, and there is a "back and forth" in responses, the forum is just another type of group therapy.

The bad news about teen blogs is that because it is unregulated, and teens are vulnerable because they are uncertain about all the changes happening to them, physically, emotionally, and socially, they can become the victims of bullies who write nasty or destructive comments on their blog comment areas. They can also be the victims of older men and women who pose as teens blogging, and can be predatory to these teens.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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