We’ve said it all along: the Internet helps. Since the web was introduced world wide, the good ol’ www has sired some innovative, and more importantly, effective therapeutic avenues. Whether online therapy, message boards or community chat rooms—there’s a lot of positive support to be found on the internet. And now, research proves that blogs, too, help sort through emotional distress.

The American Psychological Association just released a study from University of Haifa which explores ‘The Therapeutic Value of Adolescents’ Blogging About Social–Emotional Difficulties.” According to Slate Magazine, The University of Haifa study took Israeli teenagers with social anxiety or feelings of detachment to test different methods of therapy—public blogs, private blogs and paper diaries. The results show that not only do blogs provide catharsis, but public blogs provide emotional support through online commenters.

This study, as well as Slate magazine, get a naked star for showing the internet in a positive light. So often the media portrays online communities through an antagonistic lens, focusing only on cyber bullying, stalking, and pornography (although there are merits to the last one, but that’s for another Naked Award).

So let’s thank this week’s Naked Stars for their focus on the new forms of therapy and self-expression that the internet has helped pioneer.

I know that by the end of the blog post, I feel better already.

The Naked Star is given to a website or article that has shown awesome bravery in expressing truth in the areas of psychology, health, sexuality and/or culture.