I no longer keep paper journals, people kept finding them putting me in uncomfortable situations.
I started off keeping an LJ to stay in touch with some friends in another state. They kind of talked me into it.
It turned into a complete bitchfest and now is something more meaningful.
I truly enjoy writing in my lj, write in it as much as I can and I write in it for me. I let it all out, I breathe deeper in this journal and it has helped me let go of some of my childhood demons.
I love going back through my own posts from ages ago, I am always so surprised about how I felt or what I wrote. That sometimes freaks me out because it makes me feel like I dont know myself.
Privacy is a really important reason to keep an LJ, then. It's a type of disturbance to have our thoughts seen by people they aren't meant for.
So, you're someone who has used LJ to keep in touch with social networks you have in real life, as a way to shrink the geographical distance?
At one point, I wrote a lot of things on LJ without thinking of how big my potential audience might be, unintended audiences, etc. And on the other hand, it was the potential for an audience outside my small, RL audience that pushed me to write. The thought that someone might be "listening?"
Do you ever worry about technological mishaps? Like, so much of your writing being "housed" in this space that isn't certain?
I can't really keep a paper journal but I like having a place to record how I'm feeling and things I am doing. The internet is convenient for storage and ease of use. I also enjoy keeping up with friends I met through online message boards who all migrated to LJ around the same time. Lately Ive been adding people in my line of work that I enjoy talking to; its fun to watch as we all progress through similar life issues.
It has helped very much, thank you! So, you use LJ to keep in touch with RL social networks, too? There was recently a study that said as much: Digital Youth project.
Mostly online, and the RL people are those I met first online, but expected to meet professionally at some point, and then did :)
I don't think I have any straight RL friends who either adopted LJ or want to share their journals... I think one, but she doesnt journal much anymore. My sister used to read mine but has better things to do now :)
i keep a livejournal because it's an easy way to share my life with people who i can't see or talk to very often. i have friends who've ended up all over the world, and i can post pictures, write about what's going on in my life, or just complain about something and get advice and sympathy. and likewise, to keep track of all my friends who are doing the same.
i do keep a paper journal, too, which i write in a ton more than my livejournal. i don't censor myself at all there, i just let it all out, put down my thoughts to organize them and get them out. i love it.
That makes a lot of sense. (See the comments above about people using the internet, specifically "social networking sites" in order to connect to people we already know). Sometimes I wish to be better (or less lazy?) with technology so that I could post more pictures, videos, etc. I guess I could ask my "tech support."
I think empathy is so important. I've gotten great love and empathy from people I know online.
Is your paper journal really messy? I've written regularly for 18 years, though sometimes just on scraps of paper that are in disarray in various boxes around my house.
my paper journal is actually kind of absurdly neat. i'm mildly obsessive-compulsive when it comes to that. haha. i wish i had a scan of it to show you... it's on gridded paper, my handwriting is very neat, all spaced out properly. it's kind of ridiculous!
My reasons for keeping a LiveJournal have changed over the 6-some years of its existence. Initially it was what a journal was supposed to be: an outlet. Then it morphed into a way to keep in touch with friends, and with the advent of friend groups it became a way to selectively serve its original purpose. However, though the years it seems like my journal is less about me and more about being entertaining in an effort to avoid my own judgement. I honestly cringe when I go back and read older entries, which usually make me feel inferior, or just plain stupid
( ... )
I'm really glad you decided to post, Liz. So, persona has something to do with LJ? You said that it's vulnerable when a public journal mirrors yourself. I can feel that.
My first livejournal, which will not be named, has so many entries that make me feel embarrassed, like I had no clue how many people might be reading. How long have you had an LJ? It sounds like you feel like the internet helps people connect? Do you feel like it separates us from people? How?
Let's see... my journal has been around since July or August of 2002, and this is my primary account. I'm one of those assholes who thinks of another name, wants to use it, registers it, and then can't leave the first journal behind. Sentimentality and all of that. Top favourite names for other journals I've created: SparklyPirate and LizOtheWisp. Someday, when I have $45.00 to spend on something completely frivolous, I will probably change my the official account name.
But moving on...
It sounds like you feel like the internet helps people connect? Do you feel like it separates us from people?Honestly, I think it depends upon the person. The Internet is a magical place that is part reality, part fantasy. People get to be what they think they can't be in person on the Internet, because the distance it creates by definition protects our bodies and our physical perceptions of ourselves. That anonymity that it can create also helps to make a person feel safer when putting themselves out on a line. So, in an essence, there is
( ... )
I keep a livejournal for many reasons: it's an easy way to keep in contact with many friends with whom I might have otherwise lost touch. I can upload photos and keep track of what I'm doing and where I've been. I can get feedback and, let's face it, attention when I want it.
I used to keep a paper journal years ago and started again this past summer. It helps me think about and recognize the things that contribute to my anxiety and, to a lesser extent, depression. When I started keeping it, I also noticed a lot of my disordered eating behavior went away or became much less severe - I was dealing with the issues that made me turn to E.D. as a distraction or security blanket. I can talk about this more if you want, but I'd rather not do it here.
Thank you for being so open. You know, I think you are one of my oldest LJ friends. You're one of the people who makes me feel like maybe the internet does connect people. Have you found any interesting patterns with how you interact with real life friends online and how you interact with people you met online?
I love seeing these small snapshots of others' lives.
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I started off keeping an LJ to stay in touch with some friends in another state. They kind of talked me into it.
It turned into a complete bitchfest and now is something more meaningful.
I truly enjoy writing in my lj, write in it as much as I can and I write in it for me. I let it all out, I breathe deeper in this journal and it has helped me let go of some of my childhood demons.
I love going back through my own posts from ages ago, I am always so surprised about how I felt or what I wrote. That sometimes freaks me out because it makes me feel like I dont know myself.
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So, you're someone who has used LJ to keep in touch with social networks you have in real life, as a way to shrink the geographical distance?
At one point, I wrote a lot of things on LJ without thinking of how big my potential audience might be, unintended audiences, etc. And on the other hand, it was the potential for an audience outside my small, RL audience that pushed me to write. The thought that someone might be "listening?"
Do you ever worry about technological mishaps? Like, so much of your writing being "housed" in this space that isn't certain?
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I don't think I have any straight RL friends who either adopted LJ or want to share their journals... I think one, but she doesnt journal much anymore. My sister used to read mine but has better things to do now :)
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i keep a livejournal because it's an easy way to share my life with people who i can't see or talk to very often. i have friends who've ended up all over the world, and i can post pictures, write about what's going on in my life, or just complain about something and get advice and sympathy. and likewise, to keep track of all my friends who are doing the same.
i do keep a paper journal, too, which i write in a ton more than my livejournal. i don't censor myself at all there, i just let it all out, put down my thoughts to organize them and get them out. i love it.
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I think empathy is so important. I've gotten great love and empathy from people I know online.
Is your paper journal really messy? I've written regularly for 18 years, though sometimes just on scraps of paper that are in disarray in various boxes around my house.
Thank you for your thoughts.
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My first livejournal, which will not be named, has so many entries that make me feel embarrassed, like I had no clue how many people might be reading. How long have you had an LJ? It sounds like you feel like the internet helps people connect? Do you feel like it separates us from people? How?
Reply
But moving on...
It sounds like you feel like the internet helps people connect? Do you feel like it separates us from people?Honestly, I think it depends upon the person. The Internet is a magical place that is part reality, part fantasy. People get to be what they think they can't be in person on the Internet, because the distance it creates by definition protects our bodies and our physical perceptions of ourselves. That anonymity that it can create also helps to make a person feel safer when putting themselves out on a line. So, in an essence, there is ( ... )
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I used to keep a paper journal years ago and started again this past summer. It helps me think about and recognize the things that contribute to my anxiety and, to a lesser extent, depression. When I started keeping it, I also noticed a lot of my disordered eating behavior went away or became much less severe - I was dealing with the issues that made me turn to E.D. as a distraction or security blanket. I can talk about this more if you want, but I'd rather not do it here.
Reply
I love seeing these small snapshots of others' lives.
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