It’s probably one of those things that is often neglected in the cut and thrust of modern life. Keeping track of one’s thoughts and reflecting daily experiences are no longer part of the modern perception of a ‘diary’. The diary has become a planner, a schedule, a stressful to-do list of a busy life.
I started keeping a diary back in June. It started as a way of dealing with difficult times but has since become a sincere and honest reflection of what I get up to every day. Internet journalist @Documentally summed it up best by describing a diary as “writing a blog for an audience of one”. It’s an accurate and up-to-date description of what a diary should be.
It’s nice to keep a diary, even if your day hasn’t been that interesting. It allows you to reflect on your day and provides incentive to keep things interesting or try something new. There are some beautifully made journals available to buy if you’re a bit ‘old school’ and like to write things down. In fact I think it’d be great to buy a journal like this and use some calligraphy fountain pens to create something visually stunning.
I’m a bit of a technology freak, so I like to keep my diary electronic. I use an iPad app called Day One which costs £2.99 from the app store. It’s also compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch. It’s a great app that lets you easily browse through your entries and look back into the past. What’s also great is that you can tag your location on each post and post a picture with your entry. I like the photo feature very much. For me it’s the added challenge of not only trying to have an interesting day but finding something to photograph each day that provides a visual reminder of what you got up to.
Matt Keil 
What would you say is the importance of keeping up with a diary? I’m writing a paper that’s topic asks “How would you feel about your diary being read a hundred years or so after you have passed away? Would you feel proud? Or invaded? Are our private thoughts meant to be kept private or should they be used to teach about a particular time period or event?”
What I have so far on my essay is this:
In most cases, some people write diaries but never keep up with them. But, that’s anywhere in today’s world. Back then, people who wrote diary entries actually kept up with them. It was a daily routine for them. It’s what made their day start, and end.
Can you give me some guide lines to help me write a persuasive essay about diares?
Thanks!
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Hi Kimmy.
You could argue that in a way, people are keeping diaries every day in the way of social media. A modern day diary doesn’t have to be in the classic diary format and so every Facebook update, twitter post and blog entry is just like keeping a diary.
The thing to remember, is that the average person writing a diary now will be of little historical importance in a hundred years. All events and occurrences whether worldwide or on a local scale are being recorded in some way, whether through newspaper or modern media. It is these accounts of the present that will be looked back on in 100 years. A diary written today by the average person will probably not be ‘invaded’ and that’s a good thing.
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