About Kid's Blogs and Online Journals and Online Diaries
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Are Blogs Right for your Child?
Kid's like to share information and one of the popular ways for them to do it is to use a blog.
A blog definition is...
A blog (short for Web Log) is a Website of your own where you enter information ordered by date. It can also be called an online diary or online journal that is shared with others online. Blogs can be set up and maintained by almost anyone with an Internet connection.
Safety Issues and Blogs
I have many concerns about blogs, especially when it comes to children. Although you can maintain anonymity, several slips with information can add up to publishing your name, address, and where you can be found on most days. Online predators surf for vulnerable children and when they can obtain personal information such as likes and dislikes and possible locations of a child can lead to disaster. For instance a post like "I made the team - I have to go to practice every day after school" read with another post "I play for the Raiders" and "The leaves are changing here in New York" with a few other slips can add up to a predator showing up at a school yard in the afternoon.
Public and Private Blogs
Some blog hosts offer to let your blog be either public or private. If it is public it means that anyone can view it. A private blog is password protected, which means that only people with the password can view it.
Your child's right to privacy with their blog.
Parents have always had to wrestle with themselves over whether they should read their child's private thoughts contained in a diary. There are many schools of thought on the subject. Today's parents have a more difficult time because the children are now sharing with the world instead of sharing with a locked diary kept under their bed. Of course this is a personal parenting decision but safety issues are involved with online blogs. Parents need to make sure that the child is not giving away too much information that could put there safety at risk. I have tried to make my children understand from the being that if they type it on the computer, it no longer is private from anyone, and that includes their parents. Here are some safety tips about what should be posted and what shouldn't.
Cost for Using A Blog
There are many places to create a blog for free. Of course you may have to have advertising so the company that is providing the service can make money. As you get more advanced and want to add more things like pictures you may have to get a host to have them served from.
Problems With Having A Blog
My daughter and all her friends keep blogs. One of the main problems is that when one posts something, sometimes others misunderstand what was meant by the comment. Also, if they aren't careful about complaining about Susie and she happens to see the comment or it is sent to her, a full-scale fight can ensue over the comment that they thought was private. Remember that if you post it online, others can see. There are even more serious issues than school yard fights such as threats made in the heat of the moment. For more information about this topic, be sure to read Kids and Blogs - The Danger of Speaking Their Minds.
Where to Create a Blog
More Topics to Know About
