What actually comes to mind when you think of the word ‘diary’?
A diary is used to log specific information so that you can refer it at a later stage.
It is also known as a book that has consecutive sheets of paper for things like; appointments, phone numbers, addresses and places to write your thoughts and feelings or even notes about memories of past and future events.
Which type of diary is considered more practical?
The actual definition of a dairy is ‘a book in which one keeps to keep a daily record of events and experiences’.
Many people, male or female, young or old will use a diary for many different purposes, but the most common reason for having a diary is to stay organised in one particular way or another. Whether this is for recording information digitally or by hand; in a paperback, on a computer or a mobile app, the main function of a diary is essentially to record your daily activities or anything you may wish to add as an important reference point.
Online calendars such as Google Calendar and RemindMe are both prime examples of handy digital diaries, and don’t cost a penny to use. With these applications on your device you can schedule appointments, create automatic reminders, share your dates as well synchronise with other devices to make sure your diary is current and up-to-date.
Alternatively other people may prefer to record information in a paperback diary. Yes…there are those that still appreciate the paperback diary, they enjoy the feel of the paper and find it easy to access when away from electrical devices. Paper is seen as one of the most naturalist material’s and resource of the earth, and depending on the preference, a diary can come in all shapes and sizes, making the purchase of a physical diary more about the meaning it has for its use rather than the pages that lay within.
Psychologically people also keep diaries to express their practices, habits, thoughts and feelings as well as other situations they want to record in words.
But the true question is “what is it that actually makes a good diary”?
According to the online research I conducted – some online reviews of calendar apps and paperback diaries, were solely based on the features that made a particular diary a good choice. Those features were: easy use and accessibility with or without internet access. My research then further uncovered some interesting findings – where online calendar applications came in at the top of the leader table simply because of a few in-demand features that enabled the use of multiple functionalities. Such as; storing pictures, voice notes and adding social media links which can be very important for very busy professionals.
I also conducted a little more online research in other areas, just to see how many people physically own a diary.
By simply searching the question ‘how many people in the UK own a diary?’, the results of this question was surprisingly shocking; as out of the 500 people questioned in a survey, 23% (115 people) said that they owned a diary with the remainder of the 77% (385 people) saying that they didn’t own a diary. Exploring these statistics a little deeper, 27% of the people that said they owned a diary were female and 19% of the people were male.
So are these statistics showing us that 27% of the female population in the UK use diaries? These findings definitely brought up many more questions for me, but I will address this again in further detail in another blog.
Is keeping a diary a good habit everyone should get use to?
Let’s explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a paperback diary vs an online calendar.
Advantages of a paperback diary are:
- Immediate access to information without going online.
- Very easy to input data or information simply by writing it in.
Disadvantages of a paperback diary are:
- Heavy, too big or too small to carry everywhere which is not practical for some people.
- Can’t communicate with other devices.
Advantages of an online calendar are:
- Able to set alarms for appointments or reminders, and more importantly able to reschedule and input additional information labelling with search tags.
- Communicate easily between devices by synchronising.
Disadvantages of an online calendar are:
- Data and information could be stolen or lost, especially if it has not been saved properly.
- Battery life of your device can run out quickly and unable to access the information you require.
With every advantage there is a disadvantage to balance it out, but we can easily say they both have a good purpose.
I hope this information has helped you see the differences between paperback diaries and online calendars. The choice is now yours, an online calendar or a paperback diary. Which one are you going to choose, let me know?
YARNEÉ WHITTINGHAM
Virtually My Office
