Teen Blogging

Most of us do it. I did it once, closed it down, and I’ve started again now. Sometimes it an addiction, sometimes it’s a soapbox, sometimes it’s a result of “utter joblessness” (The Gutter Flower). It’s blogging. And now, the Sri Lankan Blogosphere seems to be getting a new bunch: Teen Bloggers. What makes them tick (or blog)? And why do they do it? What do they write about? We dive into the (sometimes, very rarely though) deep, dark world of the teen blogger.

“I used to write a lot when I was younger, but due to competitive exams and all I lost the touch. the blog was a way of getting back that old touch.” Says Sachith from the Simple Theory of Relativity, who blogs about Science and Current Affairs.

In general, most of the Sri Lankan teen bloggers seem to be focusing on the conflict in the country, technology, the web and current affairs. “There are a few blogs here and there which are pretty good but all in all there aren’t too many readable (Sri Lankan) teen blogs to be seen. Or maybe I just haven’t been looking in the right places” observed Gutter Flower, as some bloggers do not syndicate their content on the popular aggregators like Kottu and Achcharu.

The anonymity of it plays a major role for some. As The Gutter Flower commented “The fact that I could say whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted AND be completely anonymous to boot was extremely appealing to me”. She uses her blog as a sand box to let her creative juices run wild.

Dilu is a Sri Lankan teen blogger who is currently living in Singapore. In her view, teen blogging is a trend that is picking up as an avenue of self expression. She points out one of the aspects which is sometimes ignored in Sri Lanka. “We should always be responsible and accountable for statements we make. In Singapore, there were lawsuits because someone made racist comments in their blogs.”

Keeping the reasons for blogging aside, the Sri Lankan blogosphere in now getting more and more teen and youth bloggers. Some interesting blogs that I frequent can be found at my blogroll. Hey! Even I blog! And as Sachith said, “It is a great idea, as many teens are filled with a plethora of view points on varied subjects. We need a voice. A blog is an easy way to voice out.”

Published on the Mirror Magazine on 24/02/2008