Diary Reading: Preach of privacy

SapphireStar

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Okay, Im sure some people here have had diaries or have them now. They are there for us to write our most personal secrets, loves, hates, likes and dislikes. So what would you do if you discovered yours had been read and repeated?

Well, Ive been there. I got one before I had my first boyfriend and I was going through a typical teen hormone phase, so basically I was writing rude stuff lol! Dont look at me like that lol! So my mum found it and read it. Told members of my family what I had written and thank God I wasnt bashed by my family for it. But my mum suffered their wraith and was scolded for reading it. So theres justice for me.

But some people dont understand why people have diaries. I love having a diary as I can keep a track of my life and finances. They are good for getting your emotions down on paper. Dont hide them under the matress, thats where everyone puts them and everyone looks lol!

But in a way, youre setting yourself up for something if its discovered. But do parents give kids diaries as a way of hopefully finding the diary and discovering what their child is going through.

Opinions?
 
I really can't say for sure, since I'm a guy and don't keep one, this is not something chauvinistic, just plain fact, I've never met a guy that keeps a diary...
Back on topic. I agree that diaries are something private and that it's a crime to read without the consent of the writer :D If a parent gave the idea of a diary to his child just so he can later read it to spy on him, that's the lamest move a person can make, and I spit on people that would :)
 
What about online diaries? There are guys that have that form of diary. My ex had one and several of his friends had the also.
 
Hmm, if parents do give their kids diaries, I don't think it's to spy on them later. But then again, you never really know. I guess there are some parents who are that way, and while they know it's personal, maybe they feel the need to find out what's going in their life, especially if they know their kids are heading in the wrong direction. I don't know, it's really hard to say. There could be many reasons as to why parents would spy on their kids' diaries.

Personally, I think that if someone has a diary, they should probably limit what they are writing if they're worried about someone reading it. But if they're not worried, then by all means, write everything out. xD

I did have a diary back when I was a teenager. I still do now (although I hardly make an entry), but I refer to them as "journals". My husband and I actually share a journal too, one that would be intended for our children's eyes. So yes, we do limit what we say, although we basically mention everything that goes on in our life.
 
My husband and I actually share a journal too, one that would be intended for our children's eyes.
So cool :)

What about online diaries? There are guys that have that form of diary. My ex had one and several of his friends had the also.

Dunno, maybe one day I'll start one :D what's the online diary web page?
 
Dunno, maybe one day I'll start one :D what's the online diary web page?

There are a few....livejournal.com, Xanga.com, diaryland.com and a few others.

I never actual had a diary myself. Yes I do have a livejournal account, and also a group blog I share with Eryhritol and our friends. I don't look back at my old journal posts. I'm too embarrassed to read them, I feel ashamed. Yes, I was one of those teenage girls that worte angsty, depressing posts and talk about their boyfriend.
 
Diaries are written words; someone will eventually read them. I used to keep a journal when I was with certain family members (the situation used to be grim), but when the time came, I burned the pages. That is the only way to keep them private. Is it an invasion of privacy? Yes. But the human creature is inquisitive by nature. Writing and keeping one is a recipe for disaster unless you don't mind them being read.
 
Hmm...by the time I was 15 years old, I had about 3 different accumulated Diaries filled up here and there. I always flip flop between diaries for some reason; I can never stick to just one.
Anyways...I had like 3 different diaries going, and...one day I came home, and I saw all of them sitting on the table...like half of the pages were dog eared. My mom had gotten ahold of them (nothing better to do I guess). She read every single one, marked every page that she thought was interesting and showed them to my dad.
You know what kind of things are written in secret diaries...I felt horrible when I realized that my dad read all of the things I had written. But I uh...still hate my mother for doing that. I know my dad would have never done something like that on his own.


Now that I'm living with my boyfriend, it's hard to keep it a secret that you have a diary. And it's even harder to keep it hidden; so I don't. In fact, I sometimes write things in my diary in the hopes that he will read it, but...he never has. XD
 
I do think its a breach of privacy to read someone else's diary. but anyone who's nosey like me knows that if you know someone keeps a diary, the temptation to look for it and read it would be overwhelming. I'd never repeat what I read though, unless it was soemthing serious.
 
I had one but i always forgot to write in it so i gave up in the end......i think i burned it and binned it because I was way too paranoid about it being read. I dont think i'd ever keep one really, I went mad when my ex read my texts once without my permission....I think people are too nosy and if they know there is one they will want to read it. Or maybe im just too paranoid haha
 
Myspace/Bebo/Facebook/LiveJournal
These are all just as much diaries as that scrap book you keep under your bed with a unicorn on the front.

To be honest I never understood the obsession with having a diary - I like to keep what I think where it was thought; in my head. And what is the point on writing something no-one else will ever read?

But I think it is wrong to read someone else's diary, without permission at least, as it is like going in someone's mind without permission.

Also, I do support the conspiracy that parents buy them for kids to read years later to see how their child is progressing personally.
 
I have a blog on Myspace, that's only available for my friends to see. I don't mind that but I've not actually had a "Dear diary" type of thing. I believe that without consent of the author, reading it is a low and pathetic act.
 
I think people write in diaries to get their emotions out when they're at the teen stage, because thats when tey usually cant conrol them and getting it all out on a piece of paper can work. I tried it once a year ago. I get my emotions out via playing piano...much more relaxing. I think SOME parents would bye their child a diary to find out what goeson in their lives, but that is only the paraniod ones that have little trust in their child and feel they re not ready and have to continue to protecting them from the 'big bad world'

I personally find it pointless to use a diary...i'm afraid of the fact that the information could be seen by the wrong people. Thats onl my view though, so I'm sticking with piano
 
Reading someone's diary is just plain immature. There should be no fear of having someone read your diary. It's pretty sad actually. I know that, as humans, we are a curious breed, but it's just plain common courtesy to not go through things that aren't yours. I would put reading someone's diary right up there with theft. That's essentially what it is, the theft of private knowledge (a legally punishable offense, by the way. Why diaries are seen as any different than, say, confidential psychiatrist files I'll never know). I have had a few journals, or diaries, myself. The first one was very awkward. Even though I knew nobody would read it, especially the people I was writing about (or sometimes even to), I lied a lot in it. I would write things that I thought the people I was writing about (mostly girls) would want to hear and not what I was actually thinking or feeling. My favorite diary was not a personal one however. Me and a girl I knew in school were both having some problems, and we both liked each other (though neither one knew the other liked them). She decided that we should keep a diary together. So, one day she would write in it, then at school she would give it to me to read, and write in. The strange thing was, that even though we both read each other's most personal thoughts and feelings, it was as though we hadn't read anything after we closed the book. It's hard to explain. We didn't write to each other in the book, and rarely about each other, but what we did write was plain and honest. There was no trying to impress each other. It was amazing the way it helped us for the short time we kept it. There was something about knowing that someone else knew what you were thinking about and how you felt, and you knew that person wasn't going to be judgmental. We never talked about what we wrote, we never treated each other different because of what we wrote. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. It's just too bad that she became afraid that her family would try and read it and so she threw it away. I would have loved to have held on to that to go back and read through. EDIT: Does anyone know why my paragraph breaks aren't showing up? Not just on this site, but on all of them. I suddenly have to actually type in (if you don't see this it's because this site allows html in posts)
to get a line break.
 
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So what would you do if you discovered yours had been read and repeated?

I'd definitely feel annoyed by the violation of my privacy. Most of all, I'd probably be embarrassed...depending on the nature of the content that was read and repeated.

 
I've kept a diary before, but it was kinda pointless because I restricted what I wrote in it as I knew that if my mum found it she would read it. And she probably would find it aswell what with all the snooping she does. ¬_¬

I think it's wrong to read a diary if you haven't had permission to, for the obvious reasons. And even if a parent DOES read their child's diary, the last thing that they should do is repeat it, or show it. Reading a diary is the result of paranoia/curiosity/noseyness (I should know, I used to read my sister's diary when we were younger - I wouldn't now though), but telling someone else about it is just plain cruel.

When I kept one though I used to let one of my friends read it, and she let me read hers too, which was quite funny to read about her thoughts. Although, we always tell each other pretty much exactly what is going on in our heads anyway, and we write letters to each other saying all of our thoughts, so reading her diary isn't much different =P
 
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