Blog is short for ”Web log” and is a personal diary on the Internet. Blogging is very popular amongst children and young people, and many blog without their parent’s knowledge.

Many young bloggers provide personal information, including their age, where they live, contact information, and some even write their full name. It can be difficult for children and young people to understand the possible consequences of providing personal information of this sort.

As the number of young people who create blogs increases, there is also a greater fight for attention.  In competition with other active and popular bloggers, children and young people can end up publishing inappropriate material such as challenging pictures of themselves or friends, sensitive information about themselves or gossip about others.

At the same time we must not forget that there are many positive aspects about the online sharing culture that is found among children and young people today. Blogging and other online social activities often result in making new friends, as well as developing better communication skills and good writing abilities.

Some good advice about blogging:
There are many positive aspects to the culture of sharing we find amongst children and young people on the Internet today, and blogging and other social net activities can result in better communication and writing abilities. It is important to teach children about the Internet and blogging before they start doing it, and be clear that you as a parent should be consulted before they set up a blog or something else on the net:

• Make general rules for Internet use together with your teenager, and talk about the importance of not giving out personal information about yourself or others.

• Check what your child has considered publishing, before they are allowed to put it out. Is it comfortable to show the contents to a stranger? If you’re unsure, then it should not be published.

• Expect that what is published on the net will be there forever. Anyone who has an Internet connection can print out a blog or make a copy of it on a computer without trouble.

• Use Blog site providers with clear guidelines for use, and check that they can protect the bloggers themselves, not just the user accounts, with a password. All the same, expect that anyone can gain access to view the blog.

• Save the Internet address for the child’s blog, and check the blog regularly, openly and preferably together with your child. You can also subscribe to your child’s blog through an RSS-feed. Then you will be informed on updates. It might also be a good idea to check the blogs of your child’s friends, and the blogs that belong to people who comment your child’s blog. In this way you as a parent will gain insight into what your child is reading.

• Read other blogs to find good examples of blogs that your child can get ideas from. Make sure to avoid the use of large amounts of time and energy in trying to compete with other bloggers, and be mindful to inform that it is both unpleasant and illegal to use blogs to harass and gossip behind others backs.

• Have a dialogue with your child on how to relate to marketing of different products through blogs. Be aware that many bloggers are “bought and paid for”, and convey hidden advertisements.

• If cyber bullying occurs and your child experiences disagreeable comments, or witnesses bullying or unpleasantries on other blogs, it is important that they alert an adult.