The Private Lives of Teens Made Public

The paper examines a random sample of blogs, or online diaries, created by teenagers between the ages of thirteen (13) and seventeen (17). Content analysis was used to investigate the types of information that teen bloggers present to the Internet public. The results indicate the teen bloggers reveal a considerable amount of personal details including real name, age and location, as well as a variety of ways to contact them. The narratives they present in their blogs include everyday topics such as school, grades, college, as well as more intimate musings such as romantic relationships or sexual identity. Overall, blog characteristics such as opportunities for reader feedback or links to other bloggers, suggest the formation and maintenance of social ties and online communities between these bloggers. While blogs may be a good forum for identity construction, storytelling or social interaction, the findings also suggest the potential dangers of cyberstalking, sexual predation or cyberbullying