Blogs improve young people's confidence and writing skills

The research found that 61 per cent of young people who kept a blog and 56 per cent of those with their own social networking profile claimed to be good writers, compared to 47 per cent of those who use neither.

It was also found that 57 per cent of those with a blog enjoyed writing, compared to 40 per cent of those who do not have a blog.

Young people are becoming increasingly proficient in using technology for writing, the survey also found.

Among those surveyed 13 per cent had their own website, just under a quarter had their own blog and 56 per cent used a social networking site.

Jonathan Douglas, National Literacy Trust director, said: "The digital age often gets a bad press but the findings of this report demonstrate that social networking sites and blogs are linked to young people's more positive attitudes to writing."

The research also found that 12 per cent of young people did not consider writing to be an important life skill. "This is a real cause for concern," added Douglas.

The report, called Young People's Writing: Attitudes, Behaviour and the Role of Technology, was produced in collaboration with the Booktrust.