The Power of the Blog
Consider this.
The first blog appeared on the Internet in about 1999. According to
journalist and blog-historian Hugh Hewitt, there are now more than 4,000,000
blogs on the Internet and the pace is growing at an exponential rate.
On a more personal level, consider the
homeschoolblogger.com site which posted its first blog in May, 2005.
Within two weeks, there were more than 200 blogs being maintained on that
site, all by people in the homeschool community who had something to share.
By now, the number is far higher.
Why are blogs so popular? Could it be that we all yearn to say something,
but are afraid no one will listen? Could it be that the blog gives us the
chance to voice our opinions without fear of seeing the other guy cringe or,
worse yet, yawn?
However, blogs are far more than an outlet of expression. They are a new
media form that carries with it great power—power to inform, to encourage,
and ultimately, to change opinions. Blogs are much like the old Roman
forums, except here, all are welcome to have voice. Like the forums of old,
our rhetoric can have a ripple effect on the world, yet at a much faster
pace. The speed and quiet power of the Internet can instantly carry our
voice to far off corners of the globe.
It was this power that was evidenced in the last (2004) election. Hewitt, in
his book Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing
Your World, contends that blogging heavily influenced the outcome of that
election. As people and pundits spread news, insights, and opinions, they
changed the minds of many who were not sure where they stood. With a click
of a mouse, blogs could be shared across continents and time zones. That is
the power of the blog.
But blogs have a more subtle power as well, for blogs are also like the
riverbanks and wells of bygone days, where women would meet with other women
and share their labors. There they would also share ideas, encouragement,
and counsel. There was a sense of community then that made it easier to face
the challenges of daily life.
Our modern conveniences have granted us much, but they have stolen that
sense of community. Many young women feel adrift, especially as they enter
the world of homeschooling, a world that many of their mothers never knew.
Through blogs, we can regain a measure of that sense of community as we
share daily struggles and advice and seek wisdom from one another. The blog
can give us the power of information and encouragement.
Homeschooling families are perfect candidates for blogging. For one thing,
we tend to be more politically active and aware. For another, we tend to
think outside the box and be open to new ideas. But perhaps the main reason
is that homeschoolers tend to be an independent, vocal lot. Let’s face it.
If you homeschool, you have to be ready to defend your choice at moment’s
notice to well-meaning relatives, neighbors, and assorted community
skeptics. Homeschooling breeds—or attracts—people who speak their mind.
As homeschooling families, we can use our blogs to give others a glimpse
into the creative, caring community that characterizes most homeschoolers.
Perhaps, through our blogs, we can gently change the negative perceptions
that remain in some minds. At least, the world can see that we are human
beings who have valid reasons for making the commitments that we do.
They say that "the pen is mightier than the sword." Perhaps we need to amend
that to fit the modern terms. Perhaps the blog is mightier than the bomb.
Time will tell. But we do know that blogs have power. It is up to us to use
it wisely.
Amelia Harper serves as Contributing
Media Editor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. No stranger to publishing,
she is the author of Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings, a
literature curriculum for secondary students, and runs a growing homeschool
publishing company called
HomeScholar Books.
She theorizes that people who say they hate to write really just hate to
write about things forced on them. On a personal level, she is the wife of a
pastor and has five children, ranging in age from five to twenty-one, as
well as a host of Elvish and Hobbit friends. You can find her blog at
MiddleEarthMom
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