Shhh... Whisper

            I spotted an article about a social media platform called Whisper a few days ago while I was perusing Facebook. The heading of the article boasted that Whisper is the “anti-Facebook,” which struck me as ironic as it was being promoted on Facebook.

            The app allows users to anonymously post how they feel without having to worry what their “followers” think of them. The app does not save any personal information from its users, allowing them to post freely what they wouldn’t normally on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. The posts, called “whispers,” are composed of stock pictures with text overlaid, similar to how memes are formatted. Whisper is attempting to become the opposite of Facebook, where there is absolutely no privacy and you can’t help but feel that your friends’ profiles aren’t entirely honest. An example “whisper” from the article says, “I wish my life were as perfect as my Facebook page makes me seem.”

            I checked out the actual Whisper website. Some posts are funny (“Whenever I go through an automatic door, I pretend I’m a Jedi. I’m a 20 year old woman!”) or just plain obvious (“I am tired of the snow and freezing temperatures. I wish it was spring…”), but many of them delve into deeper issues.

             “Sometimes I wish mental illness were visible so I didn’t have to feel like I’m pretending all the time.”

“I’m a female and I’m bi, but haven’t come out yet.”

“I spent a week in a psych hospital and no one even knows that I’ve been depressed and suicidal for two years now.”

            Other users can then respond with their own whispers, many of them giving support or advice. It’s encouraging to see people express themselves and vent their feelings in a relatively safe environment. I’m interested to see how this app develops and I hope it will be used to help others.

Source: http://mashable.com/2014/01/26/whisper-beginners/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link