A dear friend whose link is on the sidebar was recently accosted in public by someone who had read something they found disturbing on her blog. A lot of people apparently read her blog that she was unaware of, and this guy took offense. Now sometimes I'm guilty of holding back a detail here or there that I think might not be widely approved of, but I'd hate to think that someone would ever come up to me and tell me how despicable I am for doing something that I write about here. If you don't want to know the things I'll tell you, just don't listen.
There are already movements in private (especially Catholic) high schools to make students disable their blogs. They punish the children for blogging even if they only do it from home. They say that it is to protect the children from would-be molesters and the like, but what I think is really happening is that they don't approve of the content. Blogging allows a view of modern culture that perhaps is a little too morally ambiguous for the comfort of establishment types. The establishment types, in their short-sighted way, seek to quell the moral ambiguity by quelling the report of it in the blogs. I think they think that when one student talks about fornication, drug abuse, and a lack of "family values" it will encourage readers and peers to behave likewise. There is a certain beautiful logic to that, but to restrict the communication tool that those kids have can only add to the pain and the pressure they feel.
When you tell a secret to the world through blogging, there is a separation to it that allows for more honesty. And after you tell that secret, you feel better able to cope with your experiences, because you've shared them. Life is tough, and for the young it is full of difficult choices that weren't so available twenty, or even five years ago. When we shut off the release valve for bloggers, by publicly accosting them for their viewpoints, or for their actions, we are taking away some of that separation they feel from their audience. It all gets just a little too real, and all of a sudden they can't be as honest with their readers, and then they can't be as honest with themselves. That pressure release valve disappears, and life gets even more difficult.
There are already movements in private (especially Catholic) high schools to make students disable their blogs. They punish the children for blogging even if they only do it from home. They say that it is to protect the children from would-be molesters and the like, but what I think is really happening is that they don't approve of the content. Blogging allows a view of modern culture that perhaps is a little too morally ambiguous for the comfort of establishment types. The establishment types, in their short-sighted way, seek to quell the moral ambiguity by quelling the report of it in the blogs. I think they think that when one student talks about fornication, drug abuse, and a lack of "family values" it will encourage readers and peers to behave likewise. There is a certain beautiful logic to that, but to restrict the communication tool that those kids have can only add to the pain and the pressure they feel.
When you tell a secret to the world through blogging, there is a separation to it that allows for more honesty. And after you tell that secret, you feel better able to cope with your experiences, because you've shared them. Life is tough, and for the young it is full of difficult choices that weren't so available twenty, or even five years ago. When we shut off the release valve for bloggers, by publicly accosting them for their viewpoints, or for their actions, we are taking away some of that separation they feel from their audience. It all gets just a little too real, and all of a sudden they can't be as honest with their readers, and then they can't be as honest with themselves. That pressure release valve disappears, and life gets even more difficult.
posted by Brinton
1 Comments:
Brinton, I don't mind if people know that the person that you are talking about is me. Actually, the person who made me aware of the fact that I had a lot of readers that I had not considered was more curious than angry. He asked me about something that I had mentioned on my blog and I openly discussed it with him. It was another person in the room who took offense who knows me, but is not a reader at all. She made a comment about "if you do this and this and this, then you are a whore." I fired back at her that I guess that made me a whore and she responed with "well, you are pretty wild." I guess what I'm getting at is that even though it was in indirect result of a blog reader of mine, I was attacked for my personal choices that I just happen to share with the blogging community. You would think that in today's society a little acceptance would be easy to come by, but it just isn't. Most people read my blog adoringly and just laugh about it. However, there are still those who would love to brand me with a scarlet letter A and burn me in the town square for the choices that I have made. Luckily, I am one of those people who just loves to be defiant. I receive so much support from my readers that sometimes it's just unbelievable. I appreciate that very much and I assure you that the opinion of one, small-minded person will not stop me from being honest or from sharing what I want to say. And thank you so much for rushing to my defense. Please know that I would do exactly the same for you. :)
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