A revealing generation? Exploring the blogging of adolescent girls in Sweden

Abstract

Blogging has become one of the most common Internet activities among young females, but research on this phenomenon is scarce. This study explores the blogging of Swedish adolescent girls. Seeing that blogs is a forum for self-expression, this also gives a unique opportunity for the adolescent girls' own voices to be heard. A directed content analysis was conducted on 204 blog entries, written by 34 female adolescent bloggers (aged 13–19). Major topics, major actors, and emotional tone, among other elements, were analyzed. Results showed that the bloggers most frequently wrote about daily routines, expressed strong emotions, and were themselves the major actors in the entries. A majority revealed detailed information about themselves, but there was also a degree of self-censoring. The findings are further discussed in relation to identity and developmental aspects of adolescence. In conclusion, we suggest that blogs may bring a sense of control to young females in how they represent themselves, as well as an opportunity to process and reflect on past and present events in their daily lives.

Keywords::

• social media
• blogging
• adolescent females
• identity
• Sweden

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [grant number 2011-0553].