postsecret.com

“ Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret, the secret is actually keeping us” – Frank Warren. (for more Frank Warren quotes)This quote by the creator of the popular blog spot, postsecret.com has dedicated his life to allowing people a way to let their secrets out. postsecret was originally a blog site where 10 post cards of people’s secrets done in a creative way where posted every Sunday. The purpose of this project was so people could hopefully release themselves from the weight of their secrets. The site evolved and in October 2007 www. postsecretcommunity.com was created and since than more than 80,000 people are registered for their online forum. There has been a community created around postsecret through the four books, the comments section, events, and all of the people like me who don’t send postcards but check first thing every Sunday for the week’s secrets. I am clearly not the only one who is a post-secret addict as shown by post secret being ranked the 10th most popular site for female students in Youth Trends’ February 2008 “ Top Ten List Report”. Maybe the reason I am so hooked is because I have to admit that I, and probably the rest of America are nosy. I like to read about other people’s lives, and I like knowing that they are being released from the hold their secret has on them. Maybe in some way by reading their post I am helping them feel better. When it comes down to it that’s what postsecret is all about. Creating a community, a safe, non-judgmental place where people can share their secrets anonymously and still know someone else is reading them. The postsecret community is also formed around the idea the joy of reading someone else’s secret and thinking, me too. It’s nice to know you’re not the only one who feels a certain way. Does it matter that you don’t and never will know the people reading your secret? Or does it matter that your best friend may have been one of the readers? A common question posed by people who blog about postsecret is why are people able to share their deepest darkest secrets to the entire world through something so artificial like the internet, but not with their family and friends. Yes, it is good people are getting a sense of community through this web page, but what does this say about what the real world has come to. This total artificial community may be taking place of a simple one on one talk with a friend. I guess the idea of community has changed and now can be online but some people are upsets or confused by this evolution of community. I don’t really think it’s harmful to have a strong connective online community if it is helping to heal people. I guess? I just hope that people do not loose sight of real human connection as the years go on and the Internet continues expanding. Maybe the reason people can share on postsecret but not to their love one’s is because on postsecret they are anonymous and can get anonymous feedback. Just like any sort of feedback, these comments have shown to be both helpful and hurtful even though harmful is not the comment page’s purpose. At times they read congratulations, you can do it, or keep fighting. But others are insulting and make the person feel worse. An example of this is multiple comments judging a person for feeding bleach to her cat(see history section). The whole purpose of the site is for everyone to be able to share their deepest secret, so people should not take offence when they do. Another bump in the comment section of postsecret was when a person posted a secret reading, “ I am a racist and I am in a long-term relationship with someone of a different race. It’s hard because you know you’re wrong for feeling that way, but you just cant help it.” Neil posted on WWW. Racialicious.com/2007/07/20confession-of-racism-on-postsecret that even though this is upsetting to whoever reads it, this secret is something good for the writer to admit. The person is not saying they are happy they are racist, so people should try to understand that for the postsecret community to fully function at the same level as its potential, all judgments need to be dropped. He has a right to post what he needs for his own renual. This event shows that even though there is a great deal of positively within the postsecret site such as the 1800-suicide promotions which has saved many lives, its still a community like another. People are going to be offended and people are going to criticize the artificialness of the postsecret society. But at the end of the day, just like any community, people are coming together and helping eachother grow. Even though postsecret is a strange web of faceless connections; I see nothing wrong with a community that heals.
-Rachel