CHAPTER 1 History Express Yourself From cave paintings to quill pens typewriters to tablets people have found ways to express their thoughts and opinions Yesterday’s pieces of paper have become today’s computer screens smartphones and tablets What do you do when you have a thought question idea or observation that keeps circling around in your head Do you grab a notebook or a keyboard Writing helps you organize your thoughts understand your feelings and explore your opinions Although the world has changed dramatically in so many ways the need for expression has not 44 21st century skills library
The earliest use of the word diary was in Ben Jonson’s play from 1605 Looking Back One of the oldest diaries dates back to ancient Roman times Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations during his reign as Roman emperor from 161 to 180 ce Many historians speculate that Aurelius never intended for his writings to be published Fast-forward a few centuries to World War II 1939 1945 Anne Frank was a young teenager during Nazi Germany She kept a private diary of the events that were unfolding Like Aurelius she never imagined her thoughts would be published either 55 BLOGGING
Anne Frank’s published diary has been translated into more than 70 languages In the past people kept their writing private some diaries even came with a lock and key Expressing emotions was a solitary process Now people feel the urge to openly share their deepest feelings and thoughts Some limit their audience to select individuals like family and friends Others prefer to open up their thoughts and ideas to the world This is possible thanks to blogs 66 21st century skills library
A Little Background No one is quite sure who wrote the first blog but credit tends to go to online writer Justin Hall In 1994 he created a personal website about his daily life As other people began following his example the term weblog was shortened to blog By 1998 Open Diary offered people an easy way to publish their thoughts online A short year later there were about two dozen blogs a number that would soar dramatically with each passing year Blogging Today and Tomorrow The number of bloggers continues to grow each year Today there are more than 31 million bloggers in the United States alone Worldwide a new blog is created every half second The popularity of blogs suggests that many people of all ages backgrounds beliefs and interests have a lot they want to express 77 BLOGGING
