A Modern-Day Diary: #ADayInTheLife

I can remember having a diary, in fourth or fifth grade, that I would randomly use, maybe once a week? I can’t recall what I wrote in it now, but I remember the feeling I had when I found out my brother had stolen it and read it. I hid my diary in an absurd place, like under my bathroom sink, so you would have to really be looking for something to find it. Yet he did! A mere coincidence (very unlikely)! The moment I found it missing I went looking for the culprit who invaded my most personal thoughts. When I found it in my brother’s possession, I only had revenge on my mind, I was ready to challenge my brother in a battle to the death. Luckily for my brother, I was not able to challenge him but instead was forced by my mother to accept an apology from him. In the aftermath of my rage, I remember thinking “What does he get out of reading into my personal life?”.

Looking back at it now, it was purely to be entertainment. My little brother was probably snooping through my things, then hit the jackpot…My diary! He probably couldn’t help himself and entertained himself for hours, indulging himself in my personal life and thoughts. Peering into diaries feels like something only an evil villain or naughty sibling would do. But people wanting to stick their nose in your business seems to be a common trait among all people. Don’t believe me, just look at the countless reality tv shows, celebrities, and influencers that we indulge in.

Modern Day Diaries

Many people are open to sharing details about their personal life with the public via a variety of different social media platforms. While they aren’t putting photocopies of their diaries to their feeds, they are tweeting, posting their stories or vlogs about their day. The modern diary entry can be a blog, picture with a caption, or a video that gives your followers an inside view of your personal life. Each post is automatically marked with the date, time, and even can include the location and rather than a signature at the bottom of your diary, it’s your username. The modern diary has become a popular habit on social media, where Twitter users will rant about the awful or awesome things about their day or your local influencer will post a photo with a caption that includes the details of their day. Instagram and Snapchat will save all the random things you post to your story, giving you easy access to a diary of photos/videos to look back on. Tik Tok has also become a newer way for people to share the personal details of their lives with a larger audience. 

 #ADayInTheLife

The #ADayInTheLife trend on TikTok now had over 933.4M views (as of 1/24/2022), this trend allows a person to peer into the life of another, without the need to go snooping for their hidden diary. The trend captures the inside perspective on the average person’s life, as well as your favorite influencer. I remember when I first saw this trend it was at the beginning of the pandemic. People began romanticizing their daily routine in an attempt to make the first lockdown seem like a break from reality rather than an ongoing pandemic. 

I love this specific trend becoming popular during the pandemic because it shares the personal intimate details of a person’s life. I know it made me feel less alone when I saw videos of college students posting #ADayInTheLife going to “Zoom University”. Students began sharing their routines and sharing their study habits. We began sharing our small moments of our day, much like how you might record all the small details of your day in a personal diary. This allowed students to bond over the frustration of being stuck in online classes, but they weren’t the only ones being affected by classes being online. 

Teachers began posting #ADayInTheLife videos too! Videos of kindergarten teachers trying to keep the attention of their students over Zoom made us laugh and rethink how to interact with students. Professors showed us their day, going from Zoom class to Zoom class only looking at names on a screen. Each gave viewers an inside look into the life of another, much like how reading a person’s diary might give you the inside perspective of a person’s day.  

This trend is not limited to just students and teachers, but first responders, groomers, nail techs, Dunkin Donut employees, stay-at-home parents, and even business owners began sharing the personal details of their day in an effort to connect with people. I think it is human curiosity that leads us to want to see how others live and gain inside perspective into their routines. 

Or maybe it is just that I am a nosey person who wants to see into the lives of complete strangers…either way. I think the trend allows a person to post their day in a modern diary to the public. The modern diary is no longer something that a little brother can steal and read but something that people willingly share. But now allows people to openly share private details of their life, with little desire to keep it hidden from the world. The #ADayInTheLife allows people to highlight the positive and negative aspects of their life whether it focuses on their morning routine or what a day in their career choice looks like, becoming like a modern-day diary. So what would your #ADayInTheLife post look like?