March 3, 2010 - Is Blogging just for Old Folks?

Just finished reading an article posted on the STLToday.com website: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/story/C3BB2969FC0EEC48862576D70012374B?OpenDocument



It talks about blogging, and how teens are getting away from blogging and choosing to Twitter now more than ever. According to the article, blogging among teens has dropped 14% since 2006. Bloggers between the ages of 18-29 have decreased by 9% over the same time frame...however, blog use has actually INCREASED for those over age 29 by 4%.



Some researchers attribute the move from blogging by teens to the fact that as adults migrate to something, teens' natural reaction is to turn to something else. The point to the mass migration of kids from My Space to Facebook as an example. Other researchers point out that adults have flocked to Facebook in droves, but kids don't appear to be leaving in equal amounts.



I think one of the theories posted, that kids prefer Twitter because it forces them to "keep their blogs short", might be the best reason kids have left blogging to their elders. With kids these days, (and I have some of them!) I can see how they would think that blogging is "more work" than Twitter, and work must be avoided at all costs when you are a tot, a teen, or in between!



I alos read this article, which was very disturbing.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/277025_webgangs10.html



It's about gang members (usually kids in our target-teen group) are using social networking such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter to talk about their gang-banging activities, recruit members, and even honor fellow members that are either deceased or jailed. Again, my naivete rears it's ugly head. I knew "gang members" used cell phones for their illicit activities...it didn't occur to me that they would also use social networks. It's like recruiting or selling drugs on the school playground--it's just not right!!