A trading diary is a notebook shared by two people, often decorated with photos and drawings. Entries are written in a way that presents what the writer wants the reader to see. They can be used for therapy, but honesty is necessary. They are often used to gossip and talk about pop culture.
A trading diary is a diary written and read by at least two people. These two people take turns contributing sections to the journal that may or may not respond to the previous entry. Exchange journals became popular in Japan in the 1990s, where it became one of many fads that swept through students, especially girls. Such diaries have appeared in classrooms across Japan, as well as other countries, and were designed to be confidential exchanges between best friends and classmates, excluding teachers and parents. Journals can also be used as a teaching aid and for therapy.
The diary consists of a special notebook. In Japan, this notebook would be decorated with small annotated and decorated photographs called “Purikura”. The cover and pages of the diary, while plain, are often decorated with drawings and photographs. The names of the participants or the name of the exchange diary could be written in ink on the front or back cover. More formal trading journals would be plain with the names of the participants written on the cover.
Entries take the form of a regular diary. There are, however, subtle differences. While an entry might talk about a person’s day or activities since people last met, the entry will be written in a different way. Writers, instead of being totally honest with themselves, will instead write what he or she wants the reader to see.
While the exchange journal can be useful for therapy because it gives someone a platform to write about their problems and experiences, its inherent lack of honesty is a problem. Such a diary will only work as a therapeutic tool in the treatment of physical, emotional or mental trauma if both participants, usually the patient and the caregiver, are honest with each other. While such diaries are often protected by the Hippocratic oath, regular school exchange diaries are not.
It is ironic, therefore, that the trading diary is designed as a private way to exchange secret information. Many diaries are used to broadcast gossip, talk about people who like writers in class, or to talk about pop culture. They are also designed to be kept secret from people not included in the exchange.
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