Open book — Teens share thoughts and feelings in blogs, unlocking the once secret diary

Her mind and computer are whirring in sync.

She spies the beloved Internet icon and clicks it with confidence.

This is her domain.

Typing in her website address, she is welcomed by the familiar graphics on her page that immediately provide insight into her vision. She poises her fingers over the keyboard for an instant, gathering her thoughts, and then it begins.

Words tumble out, words she may not always speak, but which she aches to say: poems, stories, reflections on life.

This is her outlet.

This is her catharsis, her relief.

Her name is Courtney Woolery, a junior at Coronado High School, and she is a blogger.

"I blog because I'm one of those people who hates keeping all their thoughts inside their head, and I've always loved to write," Woolery says. "It just makes sense."

In an era where the computer is king, everybody seems to have a blog.

Spanning from the notorious gossip columns of Perez Hilton to updates from the White House, most everyone seems to be placing themselves out into the realm of cyberspace.

Through the help of websites such as Tumblr, LiveJournal and Blogspot, blogging has become possible for just about anyone. With free services and claims of easy, user-friendly templates, Woolery says it's here to stay.

"I think blogging is a growing art," she says. "It allows anyone to freely express themselves, and people have been doing things like it for a long time. The idea of it has just adapted to the times. It may change with new innovations, but I don't think it will ever go away. I probably won't stop doing it, either."

The prospect of a blog might sound intriguing, but some might be confused as to what to post once a blog is created.

Andy Morales, a junior at Southeast Career Technical Academy, says: "I post anything that means a lot to me. Most of my posts are about love and relationships because I see that as the ultimate goal of life."

Reflections and confessions that were once scribbled into a well-hidden diary are thus becoming available for the whole world to view. There is no hiding a blog under your pillow so your nosy sibling or snooping significant other can't find it -- it's out in the abyss of the Internet.

According to Woolery, this is one of its appeals.

"It's like an old-fashioned diary that makes use of today's technology," she says. "I like that."

Jason Terrones, a junior at Coronado, agrees.

"With the advancement of technology in the Internet, I believe that blogging will continue to attract more and more people and become something as normal as Facebook," he says.