Although time spent by students on the Internet is typically devoted to scholastic pursuits, the World Wide Web can sometimes prove itself to be a distraction. Anyone who has devoted an afternoon to Facebook can attest to this. The Internet is not limited to social networks, though. There is a whole world of blogs out there, their templates filled to the borders, just waiting to be read.
For every interest and idea, there is a blog designed to fit. Popular site PerezHilton.com keeps its readers up to date on celebrity gossip. For the tech savvy, mashable.com provides facts and advice on new gadgets and social media tools. In this decade, HuffingtonPost.com has proved that a blog can be a reliable source for information on current events.
With so many blogs already in existence, it can be difficult to create something unique to represent oneself on the Internet. However, several Mississippi State University students have succeeded in doing just that.
From music to fashion, blogs are an ideal platform for promoting lesser-known artists. Catherine Brown, junior economics major, started a blog her sophomore year in hope of sharing her love for all things music as well as promoting some less heard of bands and performers. Her blog, Mississipster.com, has earned her a bit of Internet fame among the online music sharing community. She said after a few months of running the site, she has been able to talk to and network with other music bloggers as well as some of the bands she is so fond of.
“I didn’t really know what I was going for; I just started posting new music that meant something to me that I wanted to share with other people,” Brown said.
Brown said she is not sure if she will continue her blog after college, though for now she is enjoying the experience.
“Music’s a constant … I’ll always have an opinion on music and feel the need to share it someway,” Brown said.
In other cases, blogs are all about business. This summer, Justin Glover, senior international business major, wrote original content for his employer, Veronica Sheaffer, a Chicago-based bridal wear designer with whom Glover was interning. Her site, myhandsmadeit.com, is an amalgamation of wedding fashions, interior design and other quirky crafts. Because his blogging represented his employer, Glover felt a strong responsibility to write in an innovative way.
“It’s hard to create easy-to-read, informative, original content that strikes the necessary balance between personal and public. This difficulty is compounded when the blog in question is the virtual personification of a brand,” Glover said.
Glover said he put several hours of research and editing into each blog post in an effort to produce the best content possible. Through this experience, Glover was able to learn more about the writing process.
Others use blogging as a means to express themselves. A variety of websites make blogging easy and accessible for everyone.
In recent years, tumblr.com has experienced a surge of success. Tumblr is a “microblogging” platform that allows its users to easily share pictures, text, quotes, videos, music and more. Many big names have taken note of the site’s popularity, with publications such as NPR and Vogue now utilizing the site’s unique template to reach a larger audience.
Other sites such as Blogger and WordPress make blogging simple and efficient. Blogging can be an ideal way for students to reach out to one another. With the majority of students already using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, blogging is the next step in interactive media communication.
 Whether started for personal expression or for business-oriented reasons, a blog is a great way to initate an individual’s platform and add a unique voice to a worldwide discussion.