Teens and blogs
CBSnews.com reports that a Georgetown University survey found more than half of the blogs are kept by 13-19 year-olds. But, should parents be aware their child has a blog and be required to monitor their teenager’s blog. Parents need to help educate their teens and themselves on the dangers of the Internet, especially privacy before objecting to the idea of their teenager blogging. Blogging could provide the outlet teens need and parents might enjoy their teens insight.
Another term, “spaces,” is used to describe services like MySpace, LiveJournal, Xanga and MSN Spaces that provide people with free tools to create their own online communities or blogs.
Kids are using these blogs for all sorts of things, ranging from describing their homework assignments to exploring their hobbies to exposing their innermost thoughts. Some kids post photos on their blogs or put up links to their favorite music or movies.
There are a lot of positive aspects to blogging. For one thing, it helps teens develop language and communications skills, and becoming an Internet publisher can greatly enhance a teenager’s sense of self-esteem. Blogs offer young people not only a sounding board for what’s on their mind, but also feedback and validation from others, who can comment on what they write using a feedback mechanism on the blog itself.
