PureBlogging

I recently had the opportunity to meet a precocious young college student who opened my eyes to the fact that bloggers are people that younger generations might look up to. He had asked what I do for a living and his response to my work as a blogger was, “wow, I’ve never met anyone who actually earned money at that!” He had a whole slew of questions for me about my work, at the end of which he told me that he really looked up to me for the career I’d chosen and the moderate success I’ve achieved.

That conversation (and a look at some similar comments that I’ve gotten over the years) made me really stop and think about the ways in which bloggers can serve as an inspiration to people of younger generations. Like teachers and book authors, people who blog have the potential to educate and inspire anyone who comes to read their work. And the flipside of that is that they have the potential to discourage people who are just starting out in exploring their own creative and professional blogging potential.

After realizing this, I’ve set a goal to become the kind of blogger that teens and young adults can admire. Here are a few of the ways that I’ve identified that this can be done:

• Support a cause. Bloggers should do more than write about the latest tech gadget or the hottest celebrity gossip. These things are fine but bloggers should also support some social causes, using their blog as a platform for sharing information and encouraging others to care. For me, the issue is “green writing” but any cause that you care about would work.

• Stay positive. All too often, bloggers are negative in their writing. There is certainly a place for a good rant but there’s also a lot to be said for maintaining a positive attitude. That shows younger folks that it’s possible to articulate your views without seeming like you just have a chip on your shoulder.

• Share your secrets of success. Identify what has made you successful in your work, including what success means to you. I consider myself to be a successful blogger because I am able to set my own schedule and can afford to live in a city that I love because of my blogging income. Kids who are trying to find their career path need to see examples of the different options available to them. They also need some insight into how you did it. 

• Show your smarts. This is particularly true for women who work from home since they often get dismissed as housewives or WAHMs but it applies to everyone. Show a younger generation that intelligence doesn’t have to be limited to legal and medical careers but can thrive in any field, especially blogging!

• Serve as a Mentor. I’ve frequently encountered budding bloggers who had questions for me about beginning their careers. As a writing consultant, I easily could’ve said that I only provide that type of information for a fee. However, I think it’s important to use the wisdom of our own experience to assist others. As such, I answer those questions whenever possible. I’m even considering mentoring a budding blogger.

• Stick to your beliefs. It doesn’t really matter what your specific code of ethics is but you should stick to it in your blogging. For example, if you believe that marriages should last forever then you shouldn’t be doing blogging work for a dating site geared towards affairs for married couples. And if you believe that a successful blogger must work 9-5 then you shouldn’t be taking three hour naps during the middle of the day. In other words, you should constantly challenge yourself to be the blogger that you believe in because you never know who might be watching what you do.

We all need others to look up to in our lives. These people inspire us, show us different ways to live and motivate us to make the choices that are right for us. Bloggers have the opportunity to be those people that younger folks are looking up to. In my opinion, that means that we have a responsibility to true.

Question of the Day: Do bloggers have a responsibility to act as role models for the people who may be reading their work?

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