HW 7: My So-Called Blog

I believe that in today’s society, writing online without having to answer to parents or others that a child might respect can be a very positive way for kids to express themselves. I don’t feel that it’s right for a parent to monitor every single word that their child writes on the internet or some other technology. A parent doesn’t have to know, and shouldn’t know, everything that their child experiences or feels throughout their day. Expressing themselves online gives the child a sense of freedom and maturity. Allowing a child to freely write and express how they are feeling teaches the child how to adjust and adapt to every day situations. As author Emily Nussbaum observed after interviewing a troubled child, named J.:


I was surprised to find one of J.’s comments in early November. “I made a xanga for myself because I keep hearing that that’s whats ‘cool’ now,” he wrote on his LJ with a distinctive mixture of rue and satisfaction, the very flavor of adolescent change (Kline and Burstein 361).


J. wrote on his LiveJournal and a number of other blogging websites in order to try and belong to a group. Without his parents knowledge, he would write entries daily about his personal life. This online diary allowed J. to express his true feelings, and made him more comfortable with his surroundings. Giving this opportunity to children allows for pure emotions and feeling to be expressed by the individual. Writing online shouldn’t be monitored by parents because they may find what their child writes offensive or maddening, and they could become upset with their child. However, if the child has a free reign over what they do online, they can succeed and that’s really what life is all about.