Don’t shut down your teen’s LiveJournal or Tumblr — blogging may be an important way for adolescents to cope with social anxiety and build self-confidence, a new study indicates.
“Research has shown that writing a personal diary and other forms of expressive writing are a great way to release emotional distress and just feel better,” says the study’s lead author, Meyran Boniel-Nissim, Ph.D., of the University of Haifa in Israel. “Teens are online anyway, so blogging enables free expression and easy communication with others.”
Blogging may be even better than a traditional diary because of its social nature. Among a group of 161 students who showed signs of social anxiety or distress, those who blogged openly about their problems and allowed readers to comment fared best after 10 weeks compared to teens who did nothing or wrote in private diaries, the study says.
“Although cyberbullying and online abuse are extensive and broad, we noted that almost all responses to our participants’ blog messages were supportive and positive in nature,” says study co-author, Azy Barak, Ph.D. “We weren’t surprised, as we frequently see positive social expressions online in terms of generosity, support and advice.”
The study appears online in the journal Psychological Services.
Reader Question: Does your child blog?
(Photo © Glenn Batuyong via Flikr)
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