The Power Of The Blog

Jamie Hubley (Right) 

It seems like just yesterday that I wrote my very first blog. At that time I was unaware of the power and impact that blogging has in today’s society. Blogging is not just a means of fulfilling the requirements of an assignment, but rather, a means of expressing yourself and hopefully being heard.  Maybe even a place where you can be yourself, and hopefully be accepted.

Recently on the news there has been a lot of talk about a young man in Ottawa, named Jamie Hubley. Jamie was fifteen years old. He took his own life after being constantly bullied at school and battling depression. You may be wondering how this connects to the paragraph above? Well, Jamie was an avid blogger. Jamie titled his blog You can't break... When you're already broken . He often wrote about the pain he was feeling as well as the ridicule he endured for being a homosexual youth. Even on his last day he posted about his suicide. His pain and despair was palpable.

Jamie used his blog to reach out and try to bring attention to what he was feeling. He gave us the power to help save his life by posting regularly. It was a cry for help that ultimately went unanswered. Well, at least unanswered by people who cared or could do something to help this very vulnerable and confused young man.

Blogging is a powerful tool and can be used to achieve many ends – both good and bad.  Maybe now I will take this blogging thing more seriously!