Blogging – The Benefits For Kids

Blogging is a great way of interacting online and sharing thoughts, words and deeds with a growing community of like-minded thinkers.  As we head for this year’s Safer Internet Day in the UK (February 11^th, 2014), news reports reveal that more and more of our kids are taking up blogging as a way of connecting in the Digital Age.    In 2010 the London School of Economics reported that 11% of European children who use the internet wrote a blog and that blogging is on the increase among youngsters. 

Kids’ Blog Club is a safe site aimed at kids who blog and their parents offering information, support and inspiration.  It was founded by Joanne Mallon, one of the first UK journalists to write about children’s blogging who launched the first UK mother and daughter blog, Eljae.  Kids’ Blog Club provides a wealth of interesting news and information, encouraging kids to write and blog.  Blogging brings many benefits for children:

• It helps them to improve their writing skills (including grammar and spelling)
• It helps to improve communication skills – an important consideration at any time of life, but especially later on when entering the jobs market
• It will improve their overall internet skills
• It will improve their technical and computer skills and knowledge
• It will improve their overall social skills both online and offline
• It will help them establish a sense of independence
• It will teach them to take pride in their work, both online and in school
• It can help to raise self-esteem and self-awareness
• It can promote social responsibility, both online and offline
• It will give them opportunities to interact with different people from different cultures
• They will learn how to deal with negativity (via negative comments) in a mature and responsible manner
• They will have opportunities to explore a wide range of interests and hobbies
• It can create stepping stones to a great future career – at the very least, it will provide future employers with a useful portfolio showcasing their abilities

If any of your children are showing an interest in blogging, then by all means encourage them to do so.  Offer help, advice and inspiration and let them know that you fully support their blogging activities.

A great start would be to encourage your child to take part in this year’s BBC 500 Words – a short story competition organised by the BBC.  This year’s competition was launched by Chris Evans and also involves Richard Hammond who said:

“The standard of writing and limitless scope of imagination last year took my breath away and I look forward to having it taken away again this year.”

The competition is aimed at children aged 13 and under and involves writing a work of fiction using no more than 500 words (that’s approximately one sheet of typed A4, so it’s totally doable).  Last year’s competition attracted more than 90,000 entries and it’s not too late for your child to participate.  The closing date is Wednesday, 26^th February and this is a great way for any child to enter the world of writing.  If your child enjoys writing and has delighted in writing the short story, then why not suggest a regular blog as a way of expanding on this?

If your child is already blogging, please let us know in the comments section below this post.  Post a link so that other readers can read your child’s blog – let’s all get blogging and share our thoughts, knowledge and information.