A Web log (also called a blog) is similar to a personal journal, except it is kept on the Internet. In blogs, people write about anything — from their thoughts and feelings to daily activities and national news events. Often blogs will focus on a particular subject chosen by the author, or “blogger.” Blogs may be used for both personal and business purposes. When a blogger makes a new entry, the new information is shown at the top of the page and the older entries appear toward the bottom. In some blogging communities, bloggers can post pictures and allow others to make comments and react to their postings. Some bloggers post video (vlogs) and music files as well. Many bloggers provide links to other blogs and use their Web pages to highlight interesting news stories or to comment on current events.

With heightened media interest in blogging, the interactive and rapid-fire nature of blogs has propelled some bloggers to celebrity status. Examples of popular online blogging sites are www.blogger.com and www.technorati.com.  

Blogs, also a significant feature of most social networking sites, are very popular with teens and young adults who use them as an outlet for their creativity. Children see their blogs as personal diaries and, without realizing how many people have access to it, may forget to censor them accordingly. Children are expressive with their blogs, often writing poetry and their innermost thoughts, revealing their insecurities, feelings about their families, dreams, expectations, and frustrations. Someone looking to harm children can gain valuable information from these blogs to target vulnerable children. Parents and guardians need to be aware of these risks and communicate with their children to help them avoid these risks.