Who keeps a personal diary in 2026?

It's actually very helpful! Even just to keep track of what you did and how you were feeling on a given day.

I didn't keep one for a long time because I grew up in a household where I didn't feel secure - if I had a journal my parents would have snooped for sure. As I've gotten older I (a) see the value in remembering the past (b) feel more trust in the people around me.

Highly recommend trying a journalling habit for a month. It's also very satisfying to do it in a little notebook with a pen instead of typing. It feels more tangible.

As others have said journals are pretty neat and actually live on a spectrum where the chronological aspect is the common defining feature. By that I mean you can keep something like a gratitude journal where you write daily a set number of things you are grateful that day (after a bad flu I was grateful to be able to swallow without pain for example) or at the other end you have work journals to keep track of what you've done on that day if you ascribe to the CYA professional principle. For a while I kept a physical bullet journal but at some point I went digital instead.

Generally speaking even the "Dear diary," style of journal is helpful, if not to gather your thoughts and reflect then at least to practice writing.

It is actually a decent sized community. As someone who works in technology, I enjoy the aspect of actually creating something physical when so much is ones and zeros on silicone. While not daily, I try to journal regularly as a practice to slow down, focus my thoughts, and use it as therapy to get frustrations/emotions/musings out so I can move on.

I do! It's cathartic and peaceful. :)

What's the big deal if people do? Why judge? Why even... care? :)

Sometimes a sentence can end with a question mark but demonstrate the diametric opposite of curiosity.