Millions of young people are creating blogs. Millions of others arc reading t

Millions of young people are creating blogs. Millions of others are reading them. The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log.
   Many popular Websites now offer free, easy ways to create personal Web pages and fill them with writings and pictures. Many young adults use their blogs to write about daily activities and events in their lives. They also provide a place for people to write their ideas end opinions and react to the ideas of others.
   Blogs offer young people a place to show their writings and other forms of self-expression. Blogs can also be helpful to connect young people with larger social groups. But some researchers say the seemingly harmless blogs can become dangerous when read on the Internet by millions of people all over the world.
   People are concerned that students are including information in their blogs that create a threat to their own privacy and safety. Recent studies show that young people often provide their name, age and where they live. This personal information puts them at risk of being sought out by dangerous people who want to harm them.
   Students can also get into trouble when they include information, on their blogs that can be seen as a threat to others.
   One way to avoid these problems is by using programs that permit blogs to be read by "friends only". These blogs permit people to read the Website only if they know a secret word chosen by the blogger.