Will Richardson takes a look at a Georgetown University master’s thesis by David Huffaker on teen bloggers–specifically on gender identity and language differences. Will pulls some quotes:
“Blogs are used as extensions of real-world identities, as a means of exhibition, or possibly, as a way to share and connect with the community around a teenager. Because blogs are easy to use, free to the public, and encourage self-expression and self-presentation, their application in educational environments is worth considering. Blogs enhearten authors and empower voices. They make an excellent venue for developmental growth, exploration and expression of identity, and allow youth to build a relationship with the community around them.”
and
‘Overall, the results indicate that teenagers reveal a considerable amount of personal information in their blogs, including name, age, and location, as well as contact information in the form of an email address, an instant messenger name or a link to personal homepage. The content of blogs typically reflects what is expected to impact a teenager?s life, such as school, intimate relationships, sexual identity and even music. While almost half of teenage blogs are abandoned, active blogs demonstrate high levels of loyalty in terms of frequency of posts (daily or weekly) and length of posts.”