An Essay from the Desk of a Middle School Blogger-
Most Parents Want their child to be doing something other than sitting on the computer all day playing games.
As a result, most kids play less than 30 min. on the computer a day, and most of them don’t have websites or
blogs. Of my survey, the kids who actually do have blogs or websites, none of them are geared towered adults.
A lot of children don’t know the advantages of having a blog that adults [besides their parents] would be
intrigued in reading. It is fun to create fan sites, go to chat rooms, and play games on the computer, but if
anyone wants to do something about a current issue, or a certain strong opinion they might have, let’s face it.
Adults are the ones who make decisions, not kids. People honestly don’t have to go out and put up signs or write
a twenty page letter to the president. I’m not saying these things are bad, but you can only fit so many things on
a sign. Sitting on the computer blogging, from my point of view, is so much easier than putting up signs or
writing to the president.
You may be thinking, “Its way to dangerous on the computer for my child to create a blog!” or, “I’m not going to
let my child have a website!” I can answer both thoughts.
My mom lets me blog. I’m not aloud in chat rooms, or youtube, but she lets me blog. There is something different
about blogging than the rest of the internet. YOU publish what YOU want on your blog. Not somebody else. You
don’t even have to publish a name, you can make up a new one to use on the internet. Blogging isn’t any safer
than Webkinz or Neopets as you might think. Both of these sites have chat rooms, even though you think they
aren’t accessible with out your permission. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. Lets say I wanted to join a
chat room, but I didn’t know if my mom would allow it. She never said I couldn’t, but I have a feeling she wouldn’t
approve. In order to join the chat room, I have to put my mom’s email address in and than if she presses the
word, “accept,” I can join. Wait! I have my own email address! I can put my email address in, and I can press
accept! etc.
The point I am trying to make is, Blogging is safe. If you don’t put your last name, address, or school in it, you’re
fine. If it’s perfectly safe, why stop your child from making a difference in this world?!
Some people make their blogs their businesses. If someone wanted to earn money, they could work hard to
make their blog in the top ten, and then sell advertisements. It’s a great way to earn money.
Four girls started this blog called, “reality diaries,” and changed a lot of girls’ lives. Now, they work for dove in
the campaign for real beauty.
The problem is, a lot of kids are not willing to commit to a blog. It takes about fifteen minuets of your time every
day. I admit I have had trouble with the responsibility as well. Although, what bugs me, is that kids always
complain instead of doing things about it, Once, I was sending and email out telling my friends about my favorite
candidate for the 2008 election, and I got an email back saying, “But kids can’t even vote yet!!!” I sent an email
back saying, “So what if I can’t vote! All the more reason for me to get involved in the election!” And I thought
kids wanted to vote. Well, maybe most of them.
I guess it all depends on whether you’re willing to commit to a blog, and how badly you want to make a
difference. Maybe blogging doesn’t work for you, but I can’t say it doesn’t work for me.
