Worried about your teens? Maybe you should encourage them to blog.

Despite all the dire news accounts of kids getting into trouble online, new research spotlights the internet’s lighter, more redeeming side.

Researchers have found that blogging can help troubled teens deal with social anxiety while improving their self-esteem, according to a study published in Psychological Services.

Other studies have shown that simply keeping a diary can help improve psychological well-being. The internet just adds a supportive audience.

“Social support is known to be a major factor in helping people cope with emotional difficulties,” said study co-author Azy Barak, a professor of psychology at the University of Haifa in Israel. “The blogging participants received lots of encouraging messages, ideas, and advice – and very important messages showing that there are people who care for them. These types of messages have very positive support to people in distress, in addition to the very expressive writing experience they went through.”

Barak and his co-author looked at 161 troubled adolescents at Israeli high schools. The teens were selected for their high levels of social anxiety and distress and for their lack of prior experience in blogging.

The researchers divided the teens into groups; some were asked to write blogs. Some were asked to keep a personal diary and some did nothing.

Researchers assessed the teens' self-esteem, levels of psychological distress and everyday social activities at the beginning of the study and the end.

Self-esteem, social confidence and emotional states all improved for bloggers compared to teens who did nothing or wrote in private diaries. Bloggers who wrote specifically about their personal lives improved the most.

But what about all those cyber thugs out there?  Shouldn’t parents fear the meanies who write disparaging things on their kids’ Facebook wall or hurl insulting tweets?

Barak understands parents’ worries but says this aspect of online communication has been overblown by the media.

While there are cyber-bullies out there, internet communities are for the most part supportive and nurturing, Barak suggests.

“We did see aggressive and insulting responses occasionally, but these were in the minority,” he said. “Against what is broadly believed – and unfortunately emphasized – most responses were highly positive in nature. In my experience of many years in studying cyber psychology I can say we weren’t just lucky, but this actually reflects the actual online environment.”

What do you think – would you encourage your teen to blog?

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