Late night trips with friends, art projects I’ve worked on for hours on end, and spontaneous trips have all been documented through my digital diary. I began posting weekly photo dumps on a social media account in my freshman year of high school. At first, it was simply for the sake of allowing myself to delete photos when I had no storage, but having revisited those memories, I realized that posting tidbits from my life help remember the mundane aspects of my life from the past as well as my favorite memories. Here are four reasons why you should start your own digital diary.
1. Capture memories you may not remember in the future
There were so many times when I’ve caught up with friends from high school, and, as we reflect on the past together, the conversation of “remember when…” always comes up. After scrolling through my weekly photo dumps, I’m usually able to find an exact photo or video of what we are talking about. The senior year physics project remaking a music video consisting of my friend dancing to What is Love? by TWICE in front of our teacher and the spontaneous late night food runs of our favorite local restaurants.
2. Reflect on the past
As someone who is somewhat of a nostalgic person, I love looking at old photos and memories. Photos from freshman of high school certainly take you back to your past self and help remind you of how much you have grown since then. The same girl who visited Berkeley for the first time senior year of high school, scared to go anywhere without her cousin changed into someone who spontaneously will try different restaurants and attend different events near campus and San Francisco. Having started the digital diary six years ago, I’ve changed so much during this time and created so many new memories.
3. Document your current life
Just as you reflect on your past, documenting your current life becomes a way for you to capture your favorite memories in the moment. The spontaneous trip to Golden Gate Park to see the tulips in bloom just last week and the new thrift shop I discovered are core memories of the college experience. Photos from those late night 2 a.m. hangouts and small mundane moments are captured. In just this school year, I moved into my first apartment, went on numerous solo trips to San Francisco, and explored so many new places.
4. Building your own pinterest board and aesthetic
Posting photos from your daily life and places you visit helps you create your own aesthetic, as your digital diary becomes your own personal pinterest board. Taking and posting photos of things that you like allows you to view your preferences as to what you find appealing and what you find looks interesting. Recently, I’ve been going to more thrift shops and coffee shops and changing up my fashion style which can be seen in my digital diary as opposed to what I was interested in more before.