Y is for Youth
Written by Beloo Mehra
Blogger at: Beauty Interprets, Expresses, Manifests the Eternal
It seems one of the key reasons why many bloggers write is to express and share their thoughts, opinions, ideas and also some insights gained from their life experiences. Sounds very reasonable. Generally, the focus is on blogger’s personal expression, rather than the target audience. This too is fair, given the way blogging has evolved.
In this post however, I want to offer the possibility of blogging with a specific audience in mind. I am speaking of the youth, the future of our societies, nations and the world. Most of the younger population today, particularly from the reasonably educated and socially-aware sections of our society, is highly tech-savvy and globally connected via technology. Given the younger generation’s proclivity to get most of their information from the online world, why can’t we bloggers target some of our writings particularly to educate and inspire these young minds and hearts?
Having youth as one target audience for our blogs, or at least for some component of our blogs, can not only give a specific focus to the topics we want to write about, it can also help us become more reflective of the larger purpose of why we write. In today’s world where online world is full of all kinds of material that may often negatively influence the vulnerable youth, we bloggers can do our little bit by flooding the internet with some positive, inspirational material specifically geared toward the youth. This doesn’t have to be didactic, moralistic, preachy type of material. Surely, we bloggers can create some well-thought and creatively-presented content touching upon some specific topics relevant to the youth. The content, of course, will be as diverse and varied as the world of bloggers itself.
In my own context as a blogger from India, and given the specific focus of my blog, I believe many of my posts have had some educative focus. I am particularly thinking of sections “Current Events” and “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, and also several posts tagged under “Indian Culture.” Without specifically writing for the younger generation, I have often hoped that some young Indian readers will find some of this content thought-provoking.
Perhaps I should be more explicit and start a specific focus-area on my blog directed at youth. This will also mean paying attention to the voice and style that I use for youth-specific writing. That’s a work I hope to take up on my blog in the months to come.
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Blogger Bio: Beloo Mehra
Many years of experience in the field of education and social science research led me to the discovery that the central thing is to constantly un-school oneself and become a freer and truer learner.
My life generally revolves around some reading, some writing, some teaching, some gardening and a whole lot of reflecting on life, living, society, politics, religion, art, literature, India, the World, and everything else under the Sun and the Moon. My blog is inspired by a certain view of life and living, art and beauty, individual and society, nation and the world, and I try to stay true to that inspiration as much as I can. Having published several research papers, scholarly articles and chapters in various journals, books, magazines etc. in the past, I now enjoy expressing my thoughts and also thoughts that inspire me in varied forms on my blog.
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I agree with you but it is certainly a challenge and I wish you luck with yours. I hear a lot of complaints about what kids are into nowadays but no one is coming up with a solution. But my friend, you have!
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Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I hope I can do justice with my effort, but first I need to begin! Hopefully soon. Thanks for your encouraging words.
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It’s a great idea, and I do wish you luck. It is something worth trying. But, I really wonder if this kind of specific targeting will be successful.
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Well, Rachna, as you can probably guess this much about me, my definition of success is never really about the numbers. If some of what I hope to share through these youth-oriented posts could make even a handful of youngsters (starting with those in my own extended family) think a bit more deeply about the topic I would be happy 🙂 Individual and societal evolution is a slow business, very slow. Thanks for your good wishes and encouragement.
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I didn’t mean numbers either, Beloo. 🙂 I wondered if the youth can be attracted to content like this? I was wondering how does one even let them know that this is targeted towards them.
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In order to attract young readers, much will depend on the nature of the content for sure, and also its presentation. I am however not thinking of diluting the essence of my blog (at least the way I understand it at the moment) for this purpose. This will have implication on the content I may decide for this particular section of the blog. But of course some rethinking will be definitely needed to add this additional component. I am hoping to keep the target audience between 15-30 years of age (yes 30 is still youth!). Additionally, the parents who are more in tune with the blogging scene could also find it relevant and they could then share the ideas with their children. I think we have to keep patience and let the content circulate itself over time on this WWW! My thoughts on all this are still forming up….but for me what is important is the deeper idea of using this medium as a way to inform and educate our youngsters.
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Great idea, too often we lose our connection with the youth believing that we can’t keep up, but we can all learn from each other. Have give this blog a shout out today on my own blog.
@rosieamber1
Rosie Amber – Book reviewer. Campaigning to link more readers to writers.
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Thanks Rosie for reading and for your kind words. I have already started thinking what I want to write about in this new section on my blog 🙂
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Great idea Beloo to write posts aimed at youth. 🙂 My blog was originally focused on youth as it was a lead-in to my alternative (non-traditional) choir for children and youth…I’ve changed it since to writing in general; however, I often keep youth in mind as I write. I hope I do a fair job as I believe my mission in part is to “empower and inspire children and youth to be authentic and unique indiviudals via the expressive arts” (i.e., my choir). 😉 ❤
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Good to hear about your experience with youth-oriented writing, Elly. It is encouraging in a way. Thank you so much! Let’s see when I begin this work on my blog.
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I like the way you say unschooling and unlearning. The regular ways of learning have gone mechanical and dry. A blog written with the youth in mind seems like a great beginning towards this direction. I’m sure the thinking youngsters will surely veer towards it.
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Thanks Vinodini for your thoughtful comment. I hope to do some justice to the idea I have proposed here. Thanks for the encouragement.
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Great idea to think about youth and to write keeping them in mind. Youth, after all is the pulse of the nation Beloo. But you have to keep your posts short 😉 small attention span these folks! All the best for the idea.
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Yes I know, and that’s a challenge for me as you know well, Inderpreet 😉 But that’s how this exercise will become a learning opportunity for me too. Thanks for your encouraging words!
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[…] had first mentioned my intent to do something like this in a guest post written for Blog-A-Rhythm on April 29, 2015. There I […]
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