Are Blogs Just for Adults?

A Pew study discussed in a story on PCMag.com recently revealed the fact that teens think blogs are “no longer cool.”

Did I need to be reminded, once again, how uncool I am?

The number of teens who blog decreased from 28 percent in 2006 to just 18 percent in 2009. In addition, 52 percent comment on their friends blogs compared to 76 percent in 2006. To compare adults to teens, the survey found that about 10 percent of adults maintain a blog, a figure “that has remained unchanged.”

Why are these numbers happening? What’s the master plan behind teens shying away from expressing their opinions via a blog or comment? I suspect it has to do with an increasingly wired community.

My son is a perfect example of this. He started a sports blog, “Cytron’s Take,” late last year, and while he had some great, thoughtful entries, he soon decreased the number of new entries dramatically since he first started the blog. Do you chalk this decrease up to apathy or does he seemingly have nothing to say?

I suspect it’s because he so busy – as all of us are – and it comes down to priorities. LIke his friends, he’d still rather play basketball than be online. I’d rather do a lot of things than be online, but it’s part of my business and a huge part of my life.

It’s sad to see fewer teens blogging, but I know they will find their voice in a different way. It’s exciting to see how they’ll figure this out.