Serious question.
Most people carry things they never tell anyone.
Not illegal things. Just thoughts that would damage relationships or reputations if they were said out loud.
Regret about past decisions. Things people hide from partners. Thoughts about friends or family they would never admit publicly.
Therapists exist for a reason, but most people never go to one.
So I was wondering something.
Would it actually be healthier if people had a place to post these thoughts completely anonymously?
No identity. No profile. Just the confession.
I’m building a small experiment called Backroom around this idea where people can post one-line anonymous secrets.
But I’m honestly curious if people would actually use something like that or if most secrets are better left unsaid.
I have had similar thoughts. I certainly have some deep regrets that I never discuss. I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting them online, though.
PostSecret and /r/confession are/were like this.
That hesitation is exactly the interesting part.
Most people have something they would never say publicly. The question is whether anonymity actually changes that.