Personal Life and Event Updates

As mentioned before, some essential characteristics of everyday writing are that it is personal, intimate and allows for response and conversation (Yancey 19). The "finsta" posts included in this portion of the exhibit center around personal life updates. The posts include images and writing that are unfiltered and give details about what is going on in the life and mind of the user. It is interesting to consider how these posts are similar to diaries. It is equally as fascinating to consider how technogenesis may play a role in the shifting of diary content from paper to digital technologies.

In this post, Nolan Vild shares a vulnerable mental health update with his followers. The writing in the caption explains how he feels better and more accomplished after spending a "mental health day" to catch up on his cleaning, laundry, and take time to mentally decompress from school.

Nolan Vild shares an exciting update with his "finsta" followers in the writing of the caption. He writes about his love for his major and the achievements he has made through a semester of his coursework. His writing invited the response of many people and creates a conversation full of congratualations and positive comments.

In this post, Autom Paden shares a selfie where she looks tired and defeated. In the caption, her writing is personal and explains the expression on her face. She updates her small "finsta" following about her recent trip at the airport and the taxing nautre of it.

Sometimes, the personal writing in "finsta" posts can be sad and upsetting. In this post by Lindsay Brenner, the caption is similar to a diary entry, detailing the loss of a family pet and her struggle to accept that the pet is actually gone. Again, this post is conversational and responsive. Her followers interact and write comments of care and solidarity to cheer her up.

In this post, Lindsay Brenner updates her followers about her journey at the hospital. The written text explains the situation to her followers. Additionally, the photo included is very personal. It depicts Brenner in the hospital room looking worried and afraid.

The writing in this post by Emma Kamerer does not go into much detail, but the image "writes" what is going on by itself. Emma reveals that she is about to get dental surgery and her caption "Let's get this bread" serves to show her excitement. The blending of text and image helps her to give a personal life and event update to her followers.