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The Pros and Cons of Being A Teenage Blogger

maya rajesh53 Comments

Hey everyone! Recently, I realised that like everything else that’s happening around us, there’s a flip-side to blogging, too. So I decided to compile what I love and don’t like about blogging into this post. Read on to see if your pet peeves made it to the list!

Being a teenage blogger is brilliant. As young adults, we’re just starting to have our thoughts and opinions on the world, and I think that is amazing. Our blog is where we write it all down. Us literature fanatics rant about the brilliancy of our favourite books. Some bloggers talk about their lifestyle. Others write beautiful prose and poems; the blogging community is so big! 

ft. the awesome stuff

Why do I love to blog? What is the magic in letting words flow from your fingers as you think of them, and putting them out into the world wide web? After all, I’m just a little girl, fingers flying on a laptop’s keyboard somewhere in the world, in my room. What does blogging mean to me?

—The community.

There are so many teen bloggers out there, and the entire blogosphere is one of the most friendly platforms I have ever seen. We’re always so supportive of new bloggers, and the community always makes you feel at home.

The blogging community is my favourite part of being in the blogosphere—for what is blogging without companions?

—You can say what you think.

I started a blog because I wanted a place where I could share my thoughts with the world. I did maintain a journal, but I felt that I needed my thoughts to be seen and heard. We all have our voice, and this is mine here.

You choose your words. Write what you want to. 

This is my little corner of the gargantuan internet, and it’s so special to me. I think blogging is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Whatever you think, whatever you feel—there is no wrong blog post! It’s anything you think of!

—Your writing improves.

Blogging is simply writing. I’ve become a much faster typer, and I now find it easier to covert my thoughts and opinions into words.

I can express myself freely now; another thing I owe to blogging. I’ve also found so many professional blogs where the writing is novel-level, and I learn from them. I am so grateful for the blogosphere yet again!

—You learn a lot.

If you’d asked me to set up a website 6 months ago, I’d have been clueless. If you’d asked me to graphic design something 6 months ago, I’d have asked you what graphic designing was.

Now, with Canva, WordPress and Blogger, I think I’ve made quite the improvement. I can now do some basic coding and graphic designing with Canva to add some images to my posts. I think that this is another glorious aspect of blogging as a teen.

—It exposes you to the world.

Sometimes, I find myself scouring the web for ideas to blog. I found so many bloggers through which I learnt so much. I found bloggers from the States, from Georgia, even from UAE! Knowing about these different cultures, having a worldview… I find these things 
so useful.

Well, I’ve been to three out of five of these places! (If you count the time my mother was pregnant with me!) What about you?

I also think that as we grow up we must be open to people from all backgrounds, all cultures, all religions and diversity is also something I’ve learnt as a blogger.

—You get brilliant recommendations.

I found some of my favourite (like all-time favourite) shows and books through blogging. Cassandra Clare books were a big thing when I first started blogging, and that’s how I began reading her books, and I love her novels now! Same for the Lunar Chronicles, the Grishaverse, and even John Green books!

Then when it comes to TV and movies, I saw Bolt (the Disney movie) being reviewed on some of my favourite blogs and even Girl Meets World, both of which I love now! Another reason I love blogging with people my age!

ft. well, the not-so-awesome stuff.

Blogging seems to be mostly good, but there are a few issues that people find quite aggravating. Though, as a blogger, I love to blog (which is why we all do it!) I do have some problems that I would like to see solved someday, and it’s not got to do with the platform on which we blog.

—It takes up a lot of time.

Easily the most complained about disadvantage when it comes to blogging as a teenager. If you’re anything like me, you often have various prior commitments to attend to. This could be quite the struggle when you need to stick to your blogging schedule!

Especially with exams! I took a little hiatus when I wrote my finals (I’m only in seventh!), so it’d be a close call for those in higher grades.

Time is the most precious resource we have.

—There is a little hate.

Unfortunately, nothing is ever just sunshine and lollipops. That applies to blogging too. I have (thankfully!) never had an experience with cyber-bullying and hate online, so I have no personal anecdotes, but I have seen this happening.

I suppose for the most part our little community here is always friendly, and as long as it remains so, I reckon we’ll not have any issues! Just stay happy and remember it’s a person sitting on the other side of the screen, so treat them as you would like to be treated.

This is a really important topic which I want to speak up on; I’ll probably write a thing or two about this in the upcoming Summer Diaries post.

This is my rule of thumb online. Before I write a comment, I ask myself: ‘Would I like to receive a comment like this?’ If the answer is yes, I’ll post it (it always is, hehe.) If there’s an issue, then, in my opinion, don’t call them out in public—I wouldn’t like it if someone did that to me. Instead, I would consider personally messaging them and sort it out 🙂


—Finding the right readers.

When you start blogging, it can prove to be hard to find readers and bloggers in your niche. Your niche is the kind of content you post. Lifestyle? Self-help tips? Books? Whatever it may be, you need people to read your content.


You can’t simply sit in your corner of the blogosphere and wait for readers; you must find readers! Interacting with other bloggers is often the most fun part of blogging, but what if you aren’t able to find any?

Well, it takes time. It is hard, but good things come to those who wait! So patience, grasshopper! Also, if you’re a blogger, do leave your blog down for me to check out!


—Your content needs to develop with the blogosphere.

The blogosphere and its standards are evolving. Ten years ago, if you posted once every month, your readers would still be there. But today, you need to post at least three or even four times a month. That’s posts full of interesting things and good writing.

So you’ll come into blogging as a newbie who’s done their research, but trust me, no amount of ‘research’ is enough. Practical experience is the best.


—The urge to start another blog.

This is one of the unpopular opinions on this list. I like to dance, to read, to sing, to draw—and I’ve had to quell the urge to start a new blog so many times. It’s so lovely to start afresh—everything new. You can use the lessons you’ve learned from your previous experience, but you don’t want to delete your old blog!

This is something I’ve had personal experience with and it’s never a bad thing, but you’ll have two schedules to keep up with, and if you’re already busy, it can be a hard commitment. Blogging is something I want to enjoy and not do as a job, so I finding myself trying very hard not to start a new blog so often!


—Running out of ideas.

Very, very early in my blogging journey, way before I even knew about the ‘Reader’ section, I would find myself stumbling across what I like to call ‘abandoned blogs’. These are (often amazing) blogs that no longer publish content; the last they did was five years ago.

Their last posts have reasons as to why they no longer want to blog, and most of them say that they have nothing to blog about. Which defeats the whole point of blogging, doesn’t it? It’s what I’m most afraid of! I never want to stop blogging!

This could be a disadvantage to those who want to blog, but don’t know what to blog about. Maybe sometime I’ll publish a post full of blog post ideas! Would you like to see that? Tell me in the comments!

In summation, I think blogging, like most other professions, has its pros and cons. But, when it comes to blogging, I feel that the pros overshadow the cons. Blogging is a beautiful way to express yourself through words, through pictures, and I think that the fact that people read what you have written makes it all the better.

I think that if you are contemplating over whether or not to start a blog, you should definitely start one! It helps you develop so many skills, and you learn so much, too. I think that blogging is a wonderful hobby that I’ve grown and hope to nurture, and you should too!

Something I’d also like to point out, (which doesn’t fall into the pros or con category) is that I never see people not reading a blog because of the author’s age; another thing I love about our community. 
You’d think that there are people out there who say that a twelve-nearly-thirteen-year-old girl mustn’t blog, but no. Everyone here is very inclusive, and I do hope it stays that way.

Now, did you like this post, and what do you think of blogging? Could you relate to any of these common blogger problems? Does this speak for you, or do you have another opinion? Tell me in the comments! I’d love to chat ♥


Sending you a little bit of sunshine,
Maya. 

53 thoughts on “The Pros and Cons of Being A Teenage Blogger”

  4. This summed up my thoughts exactly right! Being a teenage blogger is the best thing I’ve ever done, but sometimes it takes a lot of effort and time! But I wouldn’t change it for the world! I’m glad I found your blog, i love it! Nice to meet a fellow teen blogger! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Amazing post! All of this is really true! I love blogging since it exercises my writing skills. And of course the community as well. Thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 2 people

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  7. Wow, great post!! I agree with everything you said here,especially the one that blogging takes up so much time – too much time, in fact. Ahh yes and I love the community!

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. Finding the right niche is definitely something I struggle with, so I keep reading others’ posts and some articles online, but they never feel authentic. However, my (brief) time as a blogger has been great!

    Liked by 2 people

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  14. I can definitely relate!! This is such an honest, helpful post for anyone who’s considering starting a blog!! I think that for me as a blogger, one of the biggest pros has been the community, like you said, and my biggest con has been motivating myself to write when I’m not in the mood (which is good experience still!). As far as post ideas, that would make a great post!! I would also be thrilled to collab with you sometime if you ever wanted to, just let me know 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  15. Yeah, I can totally agree with a lot of these points! For instance, I’ve noticed that my writing style has changed, a lot. And yeah, it’s a bit time-consuming. Still fun though! Great post!

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  17. I agree with a lot of these! It is definitely time consuming, and you run out of ideas fast, but the community is awesome! I recently started reading the Keeper of the Lost Cities series because so many people are talking about how good it is! (and it is good, like, really good!)

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  19. What a fantastic post! I agree that the community of bloggers is so incredibly friendly and welcoming. Everyone tries to help lift and support one another. It’s also such a healthy and creative way to express yourself. There are some downsides.. but that’s how life goes. You take the good with the bad!
    Thanks so much for sharing!

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  20. I love this post, Maya. Absolutely love it. It’s so true. Blogging as a teen is amazing. You learn so much. You learn to communicate with others openly (and most importantly, without offending others). You learn about different cultures. There’re book bloggers worldwide. You learn about their habits, festivals, vacations and so much more.
    I too maintain a journal. Although I’m quite new in the book blogging community, I used to rant about books in my journal and ramble my mom’s ear off. During the pandemic, when we all turned into tech wizards, I got the amazing idea to make a book blog. As a reader, it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.
    This is a fabulous post that each book blogger and avid reader can relate to.

    Like

    Reply

  21. I love this post, Maya. Absolutely love it. It’s so true. Blogging as a teen is amazing. You learn so much. You learn to communicate with others openly (and most importantly, without offending others). You learn about different cultures. There’re book bloggers worldwide. You learn about their habits, festivals, vacations and so much more.
    I too maintain a journal. Although I’m quite new in the book blogging community, I used to rant about books in my journal and ramble my mom’s ear off. During the pandemic, when we all turned into tech wizards, I got the amazing idea to make a book blog. As a reader, it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.
    This is a fabulous post that each book blogger and avid reader can relate to.

    Like

    Reply

  22. Lovely Post ! I haven’t even been here for that long but the community is really the best part of blogging.

    Like

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  23. I love this post, Maya. Absolutely love it. It’s so true. Blogging as a teen is amazing. You learn so much. You learn to communicate with others openly (and most importantly, without offending others). You learn about different cultures. There’re book bloggers worldwide. You learn about their habits, festivals, vacations and so much more.
    I too maintain a journal. Although I’m quite new in the book blogging community, I used to rant about books in my journal and ramble my mom’s ear off. During the pandemic, when we all turned into tech wizards, I got the amazing idea to make a book blog. As a reader, it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.
    This is a fabulous post that a book blogger and an avid reader can relate to.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for this wonderful comment, Shruvi! Yes, blogging has improved me as a person in so many ways. I’m definitely going to check out your blog. Thank you so much for reading!

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  24. Blogging is awesome! And it does have it’s challenges. I’ve met some of the greatest people on here. And unfortunately I’ve also met some of the strangest people on here. I urge young bloggers to be careful on here.

    It takes a while to get your true people. But after a while you will. Keep writing and being you. Your people will stick around and support you!

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  25. I agree with so many points! All the pros, I agree with. The last con, the needing/wanting to start new blogs, I’ve just never felt but I do start new categories to my blog like I’ll be adding language learning soon since it’s also a huge passion of mine. Also, I think we’re very lucky in the hate comments part of the internet since the book community (outside of Twitter) is very loving and supportive with little to no drama. As is the language community which I am happy about since I’m soon joining that one. This was an amazing post with so many good points!

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  27. I love the blogosphere😛❤
    Your writing improves. Yes,yes,yes👐
    It does take up a lot of time hey,especially with school
    Running out of ideas – it’s problem😅
    Awesome post.
    I’m Sabrina❤. Thanks for liking my post. Nice to meet you🙃

    Liked by 1 person

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  28. Hey Maya, it was delightful to read this post! I’ve just been scrolling through your blog and am loving the content! It’s great to meet another Casandra Clare fan &budding writer :))
    Completely agree with your entire post.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  29. […] I started blogging in ninth grade(really don’t know if that was a good idea) but it turns out that I’ve had a total of seven blogs including this. Don’t judge me, I am just a careless teenager with a lot of time, a phone, and a brain that over thinks the slightest thing. Well, that’s by the way. If you want to read on my voyage as a blogger and the transitions from one blog to another. Click here. Yeah, I am giving you all this free package. Good mood works the magic. […]

    Liked by 1 person

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