Arya Natarajan
Whether it’s food, arts, sports or music, blogging allows students to express their opinions on a focused social media platform for others to view and enjoy. Some, such as senior Arya Natarajan, view blogging as a stress-relieving pastime that helps release bottled-up emotions.
“I love to write in my free time or during times of hardship,” says Natarajan. “I also have these notebooks where I accumulate my ideas and thoughts. [My writing] is an in-the-moment thing, but I think it has definitely shaped me as a person.”
Natarajan’s blog posts consist of short, yet linguistic stories of memorable events or passionate topics of interest. Often supported by a visual, her posts range from topics about her traveling trips, such as her summer adventures in India and Spain, to open letters to her role models. She also includes some of her personal art and high school experiences.
“Writing has helped me grow as a person. Things are always changing, and [blogging] is a great way to recollect past memories. Most importantly, there’s no limit to creativity or what you can do with yourself when it comes to writing. Especially as a teenager, blogging helps you find yourself as you continue to grow, prosper and develop as not only a person, but a writer as well,” she says.
Natarajan first began blogging in freshman year. “I wanted to have a place to put everything that I could think of — art, film, photo. [It became] a creative space to express myself. Ever since I was a child, I had always enjoyed reading, and this ultimately led me to love writing. That’s how I got to where I am today with my blog.”
Find Arya Natarajan’s work at thewordyandnerdy.com.
Anna Chuakay
In addition to written blogging, video blogging, or vlogging, has become a preferred medium amongst students due to the prevalence of famous vloggers who have gained their name through social media platforms such as YouTube and Vine.
Junior Anna Chuakay uses her YouTube account to post videos on her interests, which includes singing, fashion and exercise.
“I started [on] YouTube in 2010,” says Chuakay. “I was so young and immature. It’s funny, yet interesting, to see how I’ve changed. Singing is one of my passions, and YouTube allowed me to do just that.”
As the years have progressed, Chuakay has also done some self-exploration through her videography, just as Natarajan did through writing. Recently, she has started to expand her horizons, uploading videos about some of her other interests.
“At first I used to be timid and self-conscious, but now I do a variety of videos,” says Chuakay. “As I became more comfortable with YouTube and myself, I began posting more.”
Junior Lizzie Heen comments that she got style tips from Chuakay’s channel. “I love her sense of style and use it as inspiration sometimes. I also watched her workout routine video and decided to try it out for myself. On a bigger scale, I admire Chuakay’s confidence and ability to express herself,” says Heen.
Chuakay hopes that people can not only learn the importance of being themselves, but also learn to overcome the societal standards that suppress self-confidence. “I like being me and not having to feel judged. YouTube is a lot more personal [than other platforms like Twitter or Instagram]. You can have face-to-face interactions with your viewers. [You] can directly interact with viewers without having to conceal or filter your emotions; it’s raw. You can be funny, serious or sassy; it’s up to you. It’s natural and unfiltered. I think that’s what I appreciate most about YouTube.”
Find Anna Chuakay’s channel on Youtube: “Anna Chuakay.”
