I do my journal as a word document. When it gets to be about 200 pages, I start a new document so I'm not working in such an unwieldy doc. Every 6 months or so I archive them on an external hard drive in case the computer blows up. I used to keep written journals. I like electronic much better. I find they have the same benefit. Sometimes if I am away from my computer and want to write, I do it on a piece of paper and then I copy it into my electronic journal later.

As for privacy, you have to do what you can to keep it from people's eyes. If you leave your journal lying on the counter, I think you are going to have people reading it! Be protective. I do not want people to read my journal and if I did leave it on the counter where a specific person would be very likely to see it, I think that might be my unconscious at work wanting me to share something in that journal with that person, or have them "find out" something that is too scary for me to tell them directly. I'm not saying that is the case with you, but if you leave your journal lying about, I think you are likely to have it read by someone.

I don't think it was right for your mom to read your journal, but behind her words I hear, "you're a private person, I wish we were closer and I knew what was going on with you, I care about you." Maybe there are ways you can be closer to your mom. If you want that--it sounds like she does.