Idol versus other spheres of life on adolescent’s blog

Sylwia Seul Akademia Sztuki Szczecin, sylwia.seul-michalowska@akademiasztuki.eu

Idol versus other spheres of life on adolescent’s blog Introduction – idol vs. adolescent’s development Dictionary definition of an “idol” describes it as a person whose example is worth following; worshipped ideal that is enjoying exceptional popularity. These are people about whom information is spread by media (and new media.) Idol is an object of someone’s extreme admiration which borders on cult.

“Celebrity” is a notion with similar meaning (Godzic 2007, Zaworska – Nikoniuk 2011, Magnuś 2011), this term refers to a person that often appears in mass media and arouses their interest irrespective of his occupation (usually an actor, singer, sportsman or journalist.) celebrity is not a synonym of a star, eminence, idol or authority. In Google’s search engine this term did not exist until 2009.

If these two terms, “celebrity” and “idol”, are put together, some relations can be assumed: some of the celebrities might be also an idols, but at the same time person that is not a celebrity can become an idol.

In researches on psychological development, factors of development can be grouped into: 1) contextual which contain: biological makings- nature, internal conditions, society and upbringing – culture, outer conditions, 2) factors' interaction of context and 3) activity of developing subject (Brzezińska, Appelt, Ziółkowska, 2008). Spontaneity and self motivated activity that often has a paratelic character are features of this activity.

Adolescence is a period of working out identity crisis. This process demands activity from a teenager, but what is also important is a socio - cultural context in which identity is created in exploration stage and in taking obligations, and personal commitment (Brzezińska, op. Cit, 2008). Readiness to explore and receiving support are basis for creation of adolescent's identity. Changes in: self image, image of one's body, ways of functioning will

form self and social identity. The key process is a process of shaping self – esteem. It is connected with: 1) feeling of divergence (between what a person is, what she wants, what is important, what she thinks about oneself, what is important for others and what others think about this person), 2) convictions about oneself (I'm pursuing my goals, significant people accept me, and I can depend on them.) As a consequence, self – esteem ensues from satisfaction from one's capacities, achieving goals and from quality of support.

Let's take a look at typical features of emotional and cognitive functioning in a process of growing up. Emotional sphere is characterized by: emotional lability, mood swings, excessively strong reactions, disagreement with rules and situation, affective egocentrism, negation, giving in to peer pressure, conflicts with parents. Cognitive sphere is characterized by a development in: interest in outdated problems, reflective thinking, foreseeing consequences, formal thinking, concluding from hypothesis, planning, creating abstract theories, searching for solutions in systematic and methodical way. Original egocentrism evolves into a decentering ability, taking up other people's perspective, principialism, authoritarianism, intellectual egocentrizm – belief, that the world has to conform to a system and not a system to reality, idealization, underestimated or exaggerated self – esteem.

Characterized aspects of cognitive and emotional functioning are foundation for identity development. Exploration, meaning active search, experimenting and making attempts initiate this process. Person examines one's capacities (in sport, learning, relationships and other fields – also the ones inspired by adults), recognizes resources of surroundings, tests relationships with other people and the way one is perceived by others.

Inspirations to explore are changes in one's organism which force entity to experience oneself as someone different than before. Negative emotions, with which one has to learn to cope, appear, but there are no strategies hammered out how to deal with them. New situation becomes at the same time an opportunity to discover stress – handling strategies (Pisula, Sikora 2008.) state of distraction prompts to searching for support to self – determine oneself.

Entity looks for people, concepts with which it can identify, accepts their standards of judgment, rules of behaving.

In researches of human's psychological development, factors of development can be grouped into: 1) contextual which contain: biological makings – nature, internal conditions, society and upbringing – culture, outer conditions, 2) interaction of contextual factors, and 3) self – activity of developing subject (Brzezińska, Appelt, Ziółkowska, 2008). feature of this activity is spontaneity and self – motivated activity that often has a paratelic character.

Adolescence is a period of working out identity crisis. This process demands activity from a teenager, socio – cultural context in which identity is created in exploration stage, in taking obligation and personal commitment, is important (Brzezińska, op. cit, 2008). readiness to explore and receive support are basis for creation of adolescent’s identity.

Changes in self – image, image of one’s body, ways of functioning will from self and social identities. Shaping of a self – esteem is a key process. It is connected with: 1) feeling of divergence (between who a person is, what she wants, what is important, what she thinks about herself, what is important for others, and what others think about a person), 2) convictions about oneself (I am pursuing my goals, people who are important to me accept me, and I can depend on them.) As a consequence self – esteem ensues from satisfaction from one’s capacities, achieving goals and from quality of support.

Let’s take a look at typical features of emotional and cognitive in a process of growing up. Emotional sphere is characterized by: emotional lability, mood swings, excessively strong reactions, disagreement with rules and situation, affective egocentrism, negation, giving in to peer pressure, conflicts with parents. Cognitive sphere is characterized by a development in: interest in outdated problems, reflective thinking, foreseeing consequences, formal thinking, concluding from hypothesis, planning, creating abstract theories, searching for solutions in systematic and methodological way. Original egocentrism evolves into a decentering ability, taking up other people’s perspectives, principialism, authoritarianism, intellectual egocentrism – belief, that the world has to conform to system, and not a system to reality, idealization, underestimated or exaggerated self – esteem.

Previously characterized aspects of cognitive and emotional functioning are foundations for identity development. Exploration, meaning active search, experimenting and making attempts initiate this process. Person examines one’s capacities (in sport, learning, relationships and other fields – also the ones inspired by adults) recognizes resources of surroundings, tests his relations with other people and the way he is perceived by them.

Changes in one’s organism, which force entity to experience oneself as someone different than before, inspire to experience. Negative emotions with which one has to learn to cope appear, but there are no hammered out strategies yet. New situation becomes at the same time an opportunity to discover strategies to cope with stress (Pisula, Sikora 2008). State of distraction prompts to searching for support, to self – determine oneself. Entity looks for people, concepts with which it can identify, accept their standards of judgment, rules of behaving.

This is the moment to meet an idol. Teenagers identify with an idol, try to imitate him in a way that is available to them, e.g. with an outfit, item’s that are connected with an idol, figures of speech that are characteristic for him, replication of work, creating fanfictions, but also through becoming a part of idol’s fandom, that is through joining people who share adolescent’s beliefs. This way mirrored identity is created, incurred costs of functioning in it may lead to disappointment with idol and may support further searches. Closure of exploration phase allows adolescent to go to the moratorium phase. Criticism and receptiveness to new alternatives persuade person to try to engage, but with readiness to withdraw when one is convinced that it is not appropriate to ones needs and abilities. End of moratorium leads to obtaining mature identity.

Idol has a function of authority that one should observe and imitate, it gives a teenager feeling of higher self – esteem, so it is crucial in development of identity, just like an opportunity to change an idol. Disappointment with an idol and moratorium help to master competence of looking for an adviser who will point out borders of exploration. Entering adulthood requires company of an adult who plays a role of a consultant, who helps with finding one’s own way, leaving the pattern (worked out by other person for oneself.)

Blogosphere – aspects of teenager’s functioning.

An obvious component of children and teenagers’ lives, maintaining relationships with other people in realization of one’s needs, is the time sped with a computer. It becomes, next to real life contacts, basic form of activity. As a result is limits direct contact with a family and peers, reduces other forms of activities, e.g. sport. Teenager symbolically cuts himself off, builds emotional self – reliance satisfying his needs, also the ones that weren’t fulfilled by contact with adults. Neo – child is a part of internet communities, runs websites. Everyday situations, cultural norms, life events and peer pressure become factors inducing starting a blog. Running a blog is a popular form of activity in this age group, next to other ways of using the Internet (Seul 2010).

Teenager’s activeness during free time shows his aspirations, attitudes, code of values, but what is worth noticing – it creates these elements. Free time, from the definition, is meant to regenerate, entertain, develop hobbies and restock strength, and it is accomplished by aspiring to obtain good mental state with leading healthy lifestyle, keeping balance between physical and spiritual spheres. Activeness in free time creates better conditions for internalization of values than doing the same thing while fulfilling duties. Most often

mentioned aspects of free time contain: recreational, socializing, perceptual, educational, developmental, and therapeutic. Free time becomes an ally reserved for transgressional activities which shape new relations with the world.

Part of a free time is used by junior high school pupils for using the Internet, mainly instant messengers. Researches point out that children's time is underestimated by parents (Timoszyk – Tomczak, 2007) the child opens a notebook, coursebook, few Internet windows at the same time (a game, YouTube, messenger, Wikipedia, search engines, music itp.) this multi – channeled activity delivers many stimuli. Synchronous usage of few functions of the computer can perform inspiring or disturbing function, overloading child's nervous system.

Half of them spends this way more than four hours a day, more than in other age groups (Przybysz – Zaremba, 2008).

Polish young people run blogs since 90s of the XX century. Cultural situation decides about starting a blog by a junior high learner (access to digital technology and the Internet), peer pressure, environmental norm, fashion. Sometimes child's experiences, family or wildly commented by media events (disaster, gossips about celebrities, pop – culture or politics) and/or a need to write about everyday life are impulses to start a blog. Biographical elements, especially child's emotional reactions and behaviours of people surrounding the child, induce entries. Blog is run for entertainment, rest, development after freeing oneself from other responsibilities. More than 60% run blogs at least five months and 5% even up to two years (Huk, 2007) running a blog is a display of creative activity, it is viewed as satisfactory, it rises satisfaction from life, develops interests. Author practices independence of speech, language and predicting skills. He shares experiences and becomes a part of Internet community which becomes a support group. Feeling of being a part of a group satisfies need to belong, to have friends, to be understood and accepted, allows to abreact sadness, happiness and uncertainty, it is a source of fun and entertainment, supplies sensations and experiences, stabilizes self – assessment.

Authors try to process elements that they can judge positively, e.g. music. Music by adolescent is perceived as a reflection of complicated emotional – cognitive states. Teenager feels understood by a music, and understands himself better through it, so it becomes a point of reference and way to to distance oneself from problems. In this situation music builds mainly psychological, biological and social resources, it favours imitation of mechanisms of coping with problems, gives strength to survive and improve quality of life.

Running a blog is an example of how new media inspire autocreation. Hours of posts indicate rhythm of child's life organized independently or by parents (Seul, 2011a.) child

treats posting as a good use of time. The fact that 10% of adolescents starting blogs in junior high continues it for at least a year shows a development of perseverance, regularity and planning of activeness. On blog child allows publishing its privacy and interference of people, their comments. Author that runs a blog collects new sensations, reads entries, writes comments. Sometimes blogger restricts group of people visiting his blog with a password.

Blogger subjects his experiences to anew interpretation, confronts earlier entries with new ones, stimulates cognitive processes to ass something more to the experiences. In a limited way he realizes his emotions, sometimes he can't name them. He tries to give a detailed description of situations that trigger emotions, often without abstracting a problem.

He recognizes some of the physiological indicators, usually he cannot identify and verbalize differences between emotions and their physiological signs. Emotional experiences are subject to modification thanks to cognitive activity which is imitated in course of formulating posts – it supports development of cognitive capacities.

Teenager leads inner dialogue and evaluates experiences confronting the ones coming from a family, peers, his own needs. It succumbs to dynamics and another integration.

Teenager adopts part of a values as a result of identifying with a group, family or with an idol, introduces his own remarks connected with current needs. Evaluated experiences are prone to readiness to reception process and generation off stimuli, conformism (in a peer group.) basis of development is an articulated need of autonomy and activity, and ability to self – direct, taking care of social relationships, to balance emotions. Engrossment in oneself can be seen, which is a result of limited time perspective, typical for early adolescence (Seul, 2010a) Adolescent puts quoted experiences through reflection to protect himself against unpleasant situations. This way child discovers moral values. Results of researches on blog entries show higher indications from the ones quoted in coursebooks reasoning on a higher level appears when one is justifying behaviours in interactions with peers and on a lower level in conflicts with adults (Seul, 2008). It is bounded with taking part in social life, engagement in sport, especially in team games. Identifying expectations of others, experiencing friendship, parents' love create favourable conditions for discovering norms.

Expressing emotions support development of competences which influence interactions and presentation of social world. Aspiring to rational description introduces concrete information, techniques indicate need to organize one's social world. Contents become basis for coming to conclusions, that is to rise of rise of social knowledge. Sometimes emotional evaluations are inconsistent with description of an event. Participation of an context is visible, which influences evaluation by assimilation, contrast and mood. Teenager does not

appreciate participation of a situation in assessment of his behaviour. Adults are often shown as a source of frustrations of blogger's needs. We can see an author using already created cognitive schemes, favouring his group and self – presentation. He moves his rules, antics, habits, abilities, interests, way of perceiving world from offline world to the Internet (Seul, 2009a).

Child cannot be separated from media. Easy access to the information can be treated as a good, and using it influences personal life. Bond with a child protects it against dark sides of media, its content (harassment, cruelty, heartlessness, ruthlessness.) communication with a child allows development of non - egocentric perspective and empathy used in social, personal and virtual relations, and it protects child from cultural nothingness and loneliness.

Activeness on a blog may be dangerous. The role of an adult is I – education, updating and modifying image of a child (e.g. child's fast development of intellectual competence and taking into account a fact that emotional development may be slower) that is awareness of developmental abilities and pointing out safe activeness in adult's effective communication.

Adjusting ones role to a growing up child and acceptance of new needs (autonomy of choices and decisions, exploration of world, help, support and stimulating development) allows keeping close bonds, honest communication, empathy and experiencing sense of safety. The source of danger on a blog, for a teenager, is a loss of bonds with closest people who don't know child's abilities. During the adolescence child is keen on giving up activities it enjoys (for a need of exploration) which are harmful, dangerous – if a loved person asks for it.

Adults using the Internet with a child educate it, help develop criticism of content, realize that some may be not good, some may be rubbish but difficult to differentiate from facts (e.g. some Wikipedia information.) they point out dangers connected with spreading personal data, being influenced by graphic, racist contents stimulating feeling of danger, of threat, stimulating self – destructive behaviours.

Adult who did not reflect on his role as a parent triggers child's anger, how it is affected by conflicts with parents, exposes it to danger and emotional loss (Seul, 2009). Bad communication with a child makes it difficult for a child to understand itself, it also arouses distrust of adults. With badly managed control over child's activities, lack of care, child's physiological needs (sleep! Child surfs the Internet at different times of day and night.) Some contents of private offers base on norms and values different from wildly accepted ones (sometimes they break the law.)

Teenager who doesn't know the law, breaks it sometimes, or gives his personal data (7%) but awareness of danger is rising. It is either a result of discussion with adults or o an

attempt to talk from people who aroused child's fear, and data disappears. Bloggers are liable to aggressive behaviours, fake identities and addictions, especially when interest of adults in a child is weak (health, disorganization of a day.) Apart from previously mentioned behaviours blogger is also liable to violence – e.g. trolling when people, who start quarrels, insult or harass others, leave comments – they are victims of somebody's disinhibition (Joinson, 2009).

Disinhibition is explained by a smaller apprehension against reactions of others, weak self – awareness and operation of personal standards. “Troll” can be a person without his own norms, that is without mechanisms that control behaviour, or without self – awareness, or a teenager without personal identity. Children are ready to change behaviour, thinking, evaluation of phenomenon, emotional and behavioral reactions through modeling – learning through observation. Decision of a blogger to actively troll is also dangerous. This process may slow down development and integration of identity, straightening rules and it may hold down identity in dissipation phase. Through “trolling” blogger learns to abreact emotions, kindle arguments. Expressing aggression amplifies and solidifies attitude, weakens rational thinking. Using Internet triggers emotional reactions which change conscience (through emotional infusion) which limits rationality of child's behaviours. It increases feeling of having control over some part of reality, compensating unfulfilled needs from other spheres.

Blogging teenager gratifies need of affiliation in a group of visitors and people commenting. Emancipational tendencies are seen in content, but also signs of neglecting child's psychological needs by adults. Attractiveness of the Web prompts to giving up on active leisure, recreation and other forms of spending time. Person chooses bonds in Web, creates emotional tribes concentrated around, e.g. an idol. Blog allows spreading thoughts, creating community and new bonds, some of which evolve into personal acquaintances.

Virtual bonds become complementary with real ones which existed before. Child retains contacts with peers at school, at home it supplements them with virtual bonds. Partially it is a transference of peer community, therefore a manifestation of on and off line communities.

Castels defines this process as a virtual reality (2007).

Ties in virtual reality create groups, communions of people who are similar (Siuda, 2009). Community developing around a blog also constitutes this kind of collectivity if by this we understand interactivity, stability of members and their identities, creation of norms, sens of responsibility for communicated interests in interactions. Interactivity manifests itself by the fact that following entries are related to previous ones or comments. Stability of members shows itself in permanent nicknames. Authors of comments try to be recognized – usually from a peer group with which author of a blog keeps in touch. Norms are clearly

named by a blogger or they are created during the discussions. Interactivity has a personal character, requests about details are directed to the author who initiates a problem.

Blogger lays out his perception of the world and his experiences. He provokes creation of bonds and communion, communication, sharing thoughts and jokes, effacement, auto – promotion. People writing comments usually are supportive, rarely negative. Base of consilience is readiness to external conformity, ability to predict other person’s reactions, non – egocentric demeanour and development of their emotional competence.

Hobbies become a sealing factor – on a blog you can gossip, exchange information, link, recommend websites. Introduced contents reach to experiences of a Blogger and to social experience, pop – culture. People create fandoms about mass culture phenomena, celebrities and idols. Sometimes they become producers and start to have their own fans as author of blogs that others invoke on, creating community around the blog and its owner.

Suddenly Blogger becomes a leader and authority, kind of a Internet celebrity. Process of realizing one’s intensified influence on others may boost shaping of identity, feeling of omnipotence (Siuda, 2009). Fans benefit from this image by creating their own beliefs and values, they are ready to imitate (conformity behaviour.) It starts a process of forming identities of fans that gather around a blogger.

Blogger oscillates between private and public spheres. Entries have character of a inner monologue, it is interactive because it is a place of meeting. Bloggers declare their intentions to write truthfully about their experiences, thoughts so they can assume exhibitionism based on a word, externalizing with possibility of retouching identity to satiate need of self – affirmation. Cyber exhibitionism, described as uncovering of privacy, based on a word flaunts intimacy, externalizes experiences, celebrates everyday life, breaks cultural taboo. Youth writes about themselves, their families without euphemisms, e.g. about talking about infidelity of their parents or siblings. In their posts things specific for adolescence can be seen: bonds with peers and relations within a family differentiated for father/mother and the feeling of ambivalence (Seul, 2011a). distance created by parents is signalized, interrupting process of maturing: 1) too close with an adolescent (remaining in symbiotic of excessively correcting relationship) which is a result of entrapping attitude (disorders in exercising social roles, engaging child in marital conflicts, taking care over parents by a child) or over – protectiveness (conviction that world is dangerous and family has to stick together, by doing everything for them and protecting from problems); 2) too distant (aggressive contact, escaping it, ignoring child) and stiff attitude (excessive meaning ascribed to controlling emotions and suppressing them), change treated as a threat, problems aren’t

constructively solved out by a child. Narrator creates stories directed at him. In order to gain expressiveness (uniqueness) decides to e.g. use crude language which reveals author’s intellectual poverty. Author satisfies need of self – affirmation, agreeing to be self – depreciated and agreeing on creation. This type of behaviour inspires others to voyeurism, allows spying on privacy (Białek – Szwed, 2009).

Internet becomes a tool to exit consumption and passivity, makes independent from direct context. It is a medium stimulating autonomy, creativity and co – participation. Mass production arises, e.g. on YouTube. Author informs about his creations on blog, social networks, inserts links. This phenomenon has been described as a “weapon of mass creation” (Bendyk, 2009, p. 27). Author tries to understand himself by creating a narration, decides about his reference to the world, modifies the way he experiences himself and activates self – reflection. Integration of knowledge is accomplished. It is given a meaning. These processes assist resolving of identity crisis in adolescence, creation of integral elements of ego. Creative attitude toward ones experiences and engagement foster articulation of identity, coherence of behaviours, distancing from oneself, from future options. Blogger starts living the history he creates.

Generation of “neo – children” participates using opportunities given by virtual world.

Beside copied fragments of e.g. song lyrics, poems, author puts the ones he wrote, borrows elements to his production. Neo – child takes part in a culture by consuming system’s products and works, that is by presumption, in which it develops language skills, independence of speech (Nosal, 2010). Blog creativity shows existing social potential of youth. Discussed generation – in language of transactional analysis – adopts position of an adult whose attribute is rational activity and creativity. He does not adapt position of a child led by emotions, he doesn’t want to go on a spree. Creativity, and not consumption, is valuable.

Researches on addictions to the Web concentrated on socio – affective and cognitive – instrumental profiles which decide about possibility of being addicted. Within a group abusing the Internet – about 10 – 12% population in junior high school age –higher feeling of senselessness and inferiority was established. Different models of usage had been distincted: 1) in boys – they more often search for information, play online games, do the shopping with intensified negative emotions; 2) in girls – they spend a lot of time in network which is entailed with better social integration, better mood, the more communication the higher enthusiasm, satisfaction and inner peace. Higher intensity of usage of the Internet correlates more with socio – affective motivation than with cognitive instrumental (Mudyń, 2009).

presented researches don’t pinpoint the existence of affiliation between addictions with running a blog.

In written posts content, expressed needs and forms of communication can be studied.

Analysis of content allows identifying signals of developmental and social changes, and contrasts it with other researches, also characteristics for a studied generation can be observed. Problem with a research is a decision about tampering with blogger’s life, or choice of a procedure – ex post facto, then choice of subject is purposeful,, but researcher has incomplete info. As a result there is a possibility of variance of error, obstacles in checking adequacy. Data collected from blogs allows analysis of products (quantitative, qualitative, e.g. test sample of narration).

Idol on adolescent’s blog

Fifty blogs were subjected to exploration, using for this purpose next twenty entries.

Entries were collected from blogs run by junior high youth (13 – 16yo.) the purpose of this was to register number of texts connected with pop – culture figures as well as emotional bonds from bloger’s circle (family, peers.)

Basing on accessible sources, following categories were distincted: idol, co – operation with parents, conflicts with parents, expectations of parents, cooperation/conflict with siblings, further family, cooperation/fun/comfort with peers, trust/empathy/help from peers, peer crisis/conflict/disappointment, I help, I nag, love.

In entries (1000 statements) following amounts were obtained table nr 1): ---Table nr 1 ----As obtained results indicate, posts are dominated by matters connected with peer relations, consecutively appear: lover, further family and idol who occupies 7th position in this ranking (similar results: Machtyl, 2010). Ranking shows 8th and 16th place of family (cooperation, conflict.) Total of quoted entries about siblings is slightly smaller than about an idol – it is worth remembering that some bloggers are only children. Idols are: sportsmen, singers, rock/metal bands, dancers, celebrities, actors. Information about an idol treats about his achievements or problems. Blogger worries about his idol, expresses hopes, joins in community of people who are involved and wish his idol well. In comments under entries discussions sometimes unwind, exchanges of views and opinions about an idol. Basing on

specific incidents from idol’s life, his decisions, more general discussion unwinds about rules, values. At that time element excerpted from idol’s life becomes a factor motivating development of thinking, predicting, deducing on abstract level. Groups of friends usually cluster around same idols. Sometimes divisions and rivalry in a class proceed according to groups admiring certain idol.

Parents occupy 11, 12, 13th positions (cooperation, expectations, conflict.) Total number of quotes occupies 2nd place after peers. Just like it could be expected, parents play an important role: blogger is thankful to them, complains about them, thinks about them and invokes to their opinions, he owes them feeling of security.

Ranking describes typical relations of a teenager with peers and adults. Peers, with whom he spends free time, are characters of blog’s contents. They are a point of reference, spending time together and activities condition development of emotional, social and moral competence. He exchanges opinions and views with them, addresses his blog to them.

It needs to be added that on blogs there always are links to sites of their idols, fan clubs, fans, fandoms. Sometimes authors inform that simultaneously they run a blog about an idol, it happens that they run it together with a peer. Usually he inserts there information available on other web portals adding his comments or provoking discussions on forum. This way new relationships are formed between fans of the same idol from other parts of Poland.

Some of them become friends in real life. From this, it can be deduced that not large signaling of idol’s existence (68/1000 posts) doesn’t mean lack of involvement in idol’s life. Maybe it is worth asking which situations decide about “inserting” idol in private experiences?

Idol and other spheres of life To gather more information, rate of r – pearson correlation between utterances about an idol and other categories has been calculated (table nr 2.)

--table nr 2. Juxtaposition of r – pearson correlation coefficient; idol and other categories ---Correlations show that statistically essential relations between writing about an idol increase when teenager presents at the same time conflicts with siblings or parents, and when he shows himself as a person helping others. Last component may be a signal of promoting good emotions. High, suggesting tendencies though statistically irrelevant, are correlations concerning social activities with peers, cooperation and amusement, disappointment and crisis

experienced in relations with them. The lowest (not included in charts) correlations were generally obtained for positive relations with parents, siblings and peers (trust, comfort.)

We can see child struggling with everyday stress. Child that feels lonely, not understood activates strategy on concentrating on pleasures and searches for spiritual support.

By experiencing emotional consequences it works out its own mean of expression and self – regulation. Indication of this is describing situations at home and also intensified searching for models in other areas – which include reference to the idol. It could be concluded that the need to refer to an idol appears when social relations in teenager’s real life are endangered.

Whereas peculiar factor, that doesn’t arouse this need, is a good contact with peers and family. Number of evocations and 7th position in ranking of matters, about which adolescent writes suggests specific conditions when it does appear.

Expressing emotions with dominance of negative, attempt at articulating it shows new emotional competences. Gathering information about an idol and writing about him is an activity with adapting character that reduces negative emotions. Writing about somebody who you can like helps to improve mood. Attention concentrates on other things and not on blogger’s problems. Moreover bond with an idol has a symbolic function of giving support and inspiration to cope with everyday problems. Usually citing info about an idol is connected with surfing web pages run by an author or fans. Blogger usually joins fan community by being active on other sites besides writing on his own blog. It is a form of looking for company, belonging to a group or communion which lowers emotional tension. This type of activity allows concentrating on pleasures, searching for spiritual support, joining fan cultures and allows ignoring problems (Mudyń 2009, Siuda 2009). These activities, apart from relax, activate creative thinking. Info quoted about an idol is a source to create one’s own plan of action, developing motivation to achieve something. Idol on blog is a factor supporting emotional adjustment, is a manifestation of an effort and searching. Development of identity becomes a main or peripheral element building teenager’s identity.

Creative demeanour toward changes and engagement are favourable for articulating identity and enhancing quality of life, stability and coherence of behaviours, cognitive distancing from oneself. Building of an identity depends on meanings which are given to the previous events. Blogger reinterprets important current events and gives them meaning in reference to his knowledge about an idol. Integration of past, present and expected future gives sense of unity and purpose in life. Attitude of cautiousness creates distance toward one’s experiences, separates still updated process of apprehending what is “now and here” from cognitive processing of experience’s content. It is characterized by cognitive curiosity aimed

at what happens in surroundings and person, it is a form of meta – consciousness (Jankowski, 2008.) running a blog develops poise of awareness, author formulates narrations, arranges knowledge about people and events, creates hierarchy of values and plans for future, develops motivations (Seul, 2011).

Activating option for future, setting goals emerges cognitive – dynamic characteristics of personality. The strength of pursuing it depends on ability of predicting consequences.

Reading old entries and reflecting on them becomes a source of noticing changes in oneself, stimulates deepening of self – awareness. By converting and restructuring past they shape attitude and vision of the world and themselves. By formulating self – identification he takes into account his own feelings, but also learns to distance himself from them. Auto – narration joins realistic and reflective themes which expose self – awareness and readiness to conform history of life according to expectations in particular cultural circle with reference to idols’ exemplars.

Blogger, by describing events, reflects on motives, personal aspirations, intentionality in creating his image through self – presentation. He forms narration, tried to understand himself. Narration is a diagnosis of current state, tells about himself and peers, events and it also gives them a meaning, integrates knowledge and aspirations. Presents, evaluates others and also changes his beliefs, attitudes and values as a result of confrontation with others. He displays his talents and hobbies which he develops at the same time describing consequences (e.g. dance lessons, sport, competitions), sometimes he compares distance to his idol. By describing hardships he gets advice from people who comment which play a role of informational and emotional support, and these elements help in creation of new coping strategies (Pisula, Sikora, 2008). Part of the posts shows attempts at farsightedness of predictions ad development of plans for oneself.

Self – reflection on blog is a kind of teenager’s answer to the changes in a pressure of outer and inner context. The result of writing posts is ability to confront earlier entries with new ones, interpretation of experiences and perspective toward biography, confronting with current point of view. He puts information in structures and opens himself to new ones. By describing himself in situation blogger stimulates deepening of self – awareness and creation of his picture by using knowledge about an idol. He recognizes alternatives of actions, ability to modify social relations, evaluation and description of the world and oneself. Blogger starts influencing elements of his life, so the feeling of self – control and readiness to take consequences for his actions, and self – satisfaction increase.

Concludion One of idol’s function in adolescent’s development is an inspiration in shaping identity. Presented results of researches with exploratory character, show frequency and conditions in which idol is mentioned in entries. Researches require assuming that writing about an idol becomes an element of a stress coping strategy, factor supporting feeling of social bond, inspiring development of emotional and cognitive competences.

Overview of basic phenomena in teenager’s blogosphere has been accomplished.

Decision about running a blog is a result of searching for a form to express one’s experiences, emotional self – regulation. They are created because of the fashion, or it complements/replaces a diary. Teenager discovers that he can present himself this way, show different versions of himself. Sometimes there is also a school requirement from informatics which initiate creation of a blog. Network becomes asylum and child wants to satisfy needs which it can’t fulfill in relations with adults, abreact emotions, and learn how to compensate other activity (e.g. “trolling” or pro - social behaviours towards peers Neo – child vicariously fulfills needs which it cannot satisfy at home or school, also due to lack of appealing contacts by joining blogging community.

Typical for adolescence imbalance of image of oneself, described as an identity crisis, arouses need to create integral elements of one’s ego, that is self – identity which correspond with evaluation of a person, its abilities and preferences against peers and idols. Through created narration blogger understands himself better, decides about his reference to the world.

He includes report about an idol in stories about himself, peers, family and events. By putting in words his experiences, he attaches importance to them, integrates his knowledge and aspirations. Entries modify experiencing and support yielding of a perspective to one’s biography by contrasting with current point of view.

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Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2011, s. 97-117,

IDOL A INNE SFERY ŻYCIA W BLOGU ADOLESCENTA

Streszczenie Dokonano przeglądu badań nad nastolatkiem w Sieci. Wskazano wybrane aspekty prowadzenia blogu. Przedstawiono wyniki sondażu przeprowadzonego na blogach gimnazjalistów. Zaprezentowane będą rezultaty eksploracji 1000 notek (20 x50 blogów) pobranych z blogów prowadzonych przez młodzież. Artykuł prezentuje role idola (lub celebryty) w rozwoju młodzieży. Analizie poddano pozycję idola (7 w rankingu) w wypowiedziach młodzieży oraz związek z relacjami rodzinnymi i rówieśniczymi. Wnioski z badań sugerują, że pogorszenie relacji w świecie realnym skłania dziecko do częstszego odwoływani się do Idola, co jest sygnałem wyboru strategii radzenia ze stresem o charakterze ucieczkowym.

Słowa kluczowe: adolescent, rozwój, blog, idol, rówieśnicy, rodzina, relacje społeczne

Summary The article presents the role of Idol (or celebrity) in the development of youth. Review of research on teens on the web. points to some aspects of blogging. Presents the results of a survey carried out on blogs high school students. We analyzed 50 blogs with 20 notes (a total of 1000). Indicated the position of an idol (7 ranking) in the statements of youth and relationship with family and peer relationships. Conclusions from the study suggest that the deterioration of relations in the real world tends to intensify the child removed to Idol, which is a signal of selection strategies of coyping with the stress of a style escaped.

Keywords: adolescent, development, blog, idol, family, peers, social relations.

Table nr 1. Categories In explored’s blogs categoria

ranking

number

average

standard’s deviation

cooperation/fun with peers

1

201

4,1

3,10

peer trust/empathy /,

2

107

2,14

2,41

peer/disappointment

3

99

1,98

1,93

love.

4

96

1,98

1,53

further family

5

84

1,68

1,89

peer crisis/conflict,

6

83

1,66

2,01

Idol

7

68

1,36

2,155

cooperation with siblings

8

56

1,12

1,423

comfort with peers,

9

56

1,12

1,59

help from peers

10

48

0,96

1,51

co – operation with parents

11

45

0,9

1,05

expectations of parents

12

36

0,72

1,63

conflicts with parents

13

28

0,56

1,01

I help

14

22

0,44

0,78

I nag,

15

19

0,38

0,92

conflict with siblings

16

10

0.2

0,495

Total of

x

948

18,01

x

(source: Seul, 2011)

Table nr 2 Juxtaposition of r – pearson correlation coefficient; idol and other categories categorie

r-

ranking

pearson

essential Statystistical p

conflict with siblings

0,390

1

< 0,005

conflicts with parents

0,270

2

< 0,05

I help

0,234

3

< 0,01

cooperation/fun with peers

0,218

4

n. i

peer crisis/conflict,

0,194

5

n. i.

peer/disappointment

0,165

6

n. i

love

0,153

7

n. i.

expectations of parents

0,127

8

n. i.

I nag

0,073

9

n. i.

help from peers

0,07

10

n. i.

further family

0,062

11

n. i.

peer trust/empathy /,

0,053

12

n. i.

comfort with peers,

0,041

13

n. i.

cooperation with siblings

0,032

14

n. i.

co â&#x20AC;&#x201C; operation with parents

0,0063

15

n. i.

(source : Seul 2011).