Technology

Blogging away

Blogs are becoming powerful platforms for students in the professional world, but students are also turning to blogs as a channel through which they can express themselves freely and relieve stress.

Lindita Camaj, an assistant communication professor at UH, believes that learning how to produce quality content in blogs provides students with a great advantage.

“It isn’t surprising that most employers require their writers to have blogs and use other social media in their professions,” she said. “Blogging provides communicators with an easily accessible platform to get published and to acquire large audiences beyond their communities.”

Having studied blogging and opinion writing, Camaj said blogs help emphasize personalities in media professionalism.

“To be a fully rounded writer and communicator nowadays, you need to maintain an active presence in the web through the use of different platforms,” she said. “I would recommend students to invest in building a blog that can become something remarkable and profitable.”

Research from the American Psychological Association indicated a strong correlation between a decrease in students’ social stress levels and blogging. The study also determined that students maintaining a public blog are improving their self-esteem and releasing emotional stress. Architecture sophomore Alvin Ng, began to blog about his own projects in school, personal photos, travel logs and news on his clothing brand after being inspired by several international blogs.

“Honestly, without blogs, I would probably win the award for most boring person at UH. Blogging defines who I am, from the foods I eat and the way I socialize to the clothes I wear,” Ng said. “It’s almost as influential as Pokémon is to a 90s kid.”

He said he enjoys documenting life events and sharing his experiences with other people.

“There really is no purpose to blogging other than tooting your own horn. We are a little egotistical after all,” Ng said.

Accounting junior, Heidi Bouzas, maintains a blog to cope with traumatic fragments of her past and to share her daily encounters and future goals.

“I was in a bad place in my life, and I had questions for anyone who had experienced what I had, and I found many answers through blogs,” Bouzas said. “Now, blogging plays a large role in my life, especially when trying to promote my group video project.”

Bouzas blogs about three times a week when she is unoccupied with schoolwork.

“My life would probably be more frustrating without blogs,” she said. “Blogging helps people get out their emotions, which also in turn bring you closer to others going through the same situation”

Vicky Lepham, an advertising sophomore, prefers to read blogs over newspapers and magazines because of the author’s personal connection.

“From do-it-yourself blogs to horoscope and relationship blogs to fashion blogs to travel blogs and pop culture blogs, I feel as though I’ve expanded my knowledge,” she said. “I find out more about myself from reading blogs.”

Lepham also browses various blogs as an outlet for stress multiple times a day.

“Bloggers share their ideas, thoughts and opinions that may inspire my own thoughts about a certain topic,” she said. “There is always a blog that fits a person’s individual niche or specific interests.”

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1 Comment

  • I recently started blogging and find it somewhat difficult on what I want to write about. Can I still monetize my blog and write about random things that happen to me, or does it have to be about any specific niche?

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