I read the comments that were posted on the secret sites and I could totally see myself posting them. Many people use these public sites to post private thoughts. Although we “regular” people think that celebrities, politicians, athletes, (basically anyone that is famous) have these great lives, I believe that some of them use the social media to express their “regular” feelings also. I think that the famous people want to sometimes have regular people moments and when they do, they get caught up in scandals. I don’t think that they tweet their thoughts, wants, and desires, no matter how appropriate or inappropriate, on purpose. I think they think it will be private.

I have known about PostSecret for quite some time now, and occasionally when I am bored I will check the newest postcards that have been sent in. Reading these provides me a sort of sanity when I am feeling down. When I read that there are tons of people out there who do not live perfect lives either, it makes me feel like it is okay to be human. It is okay to make mistakes and feel unhappy at times. Some people post secrets saying that they portray happiness but deep down are depressed. It is these kind of posts that give me hope in knowing that my life is not all so bad. Everyone has problems, not just me. In fact, many people face similar problems that I have in the past. PostSecret makes me not feel so alone in my journey in life. As long as the anonymity remains, I see no problem in putting these secrets up for the public. Sometimes it can feel freeing to release a secret, and sometimes it can feel better to read a secret. I see it as a win-win situation.

I just actually heard about how APU developed this “PostSecret” website or fan page and I was actually really surprised to see and read some of the deep secrets people were so willing to post publicly. I don’t know how I feel about these websites, I think there a bitter sweet. It’s good for people to be able to become vulnerable about their feelings and emotions, but I think it would be better if people actually verbalized their pain or concerns to what is actually going on in their life instead of venting through the aid of technology. That’s one thing that I have seen rise in technology these days, we can use it as an escape to express ourselves in a new way apart from verbally. Everyone goes through struggles, we are all imperfect and apart of being friends will people is to be able to support them and love on them no matter what season or stage in life their going through. I think we need to go back to really personally comforting people even through their struggles apart from technology.

It was really interesting reading about this website I did not know it existed. This website can be very beneficial to people that are going through problems and are unable to talk to no one. In this website they can post their secrets and problems. By seeing that they are not the only one’s with secrets it will help them feel better. This website is going to help many teenagers that are suicidal deal with their problems. The biggest reason why they commit suicide is because they feel that they are alone in this world. Technology is changing our life everyday in this case this can be for better. The people may feel better in saying their secrets to a person they don’t know than a family member that is going to judge them.

Sites like these are good for people that feel like they have no one to talk to about their fears, pains, and frustrations. Those who are suicidal often want to cry for help but fear that their friends and family wont understand them or judge them. I’m glad that people post positive things toward those who really need the help. The negative aspet about the anonymity is that some people may take that as an opportunity to be rude and say hateful things.

the whole concept of people finally being able to share their deepest secrets through being anonymous is interesting and on the surface appears harmless. There are two sides to being able to share anonymously however and as a member of tumblr I have seen what the ability to be anonymous can do. On tumblr people go on an anonymous setting and often spew all kinds of hurtful and rude things to other people. Being able to share about yourself in a “safe place,” is always a good thing however when that gift is taken too far and begins to hurt others it should be avoided.

Before today I have never visited the APU Postsecret site, nor have been so shocked by websites such as this.
Not everybody has a confidant that they trust with all of their secrets. Especially in a “cookie-cutter” university such as APU, students are expected to fit in to a certain Christian consensus. Oftentimes students with different opinions are discriminated and prejudiced against. External factors such as University rules and peer pressure contribute to this toxic environment for difference. Websites such as PostSecret is an excellent way for people to share their deepest secrets without consequence. It is simply a haven for those who want to scream out to the world the things they have kept to themselves for years.

I feel like PostSecret is a great way for people to just let go of their deepest secrets. But sometimes it seems like some are so wild that they almost seem fake. I used to go on the website as a source of entertainment until I realized how crazy that was and asked myself why I was finding so much joy in other peoples angst. I guess I just never took it that serious and looked at it mostly as a source of pure entertainment. Even though I haven’t gone on the APU PostSecret yet it sounds like a better layout than the website because people can actually respond and make the hurt person feel better about their secret, just like the example of the suicidal person, it lets them all know that someone might be in the same boat as they are.

I have been a fan of post secret for about 5 or so years now. I found the concept of post secret such a phenomenal one because it showed the true sides of the almost all the people around us. It made me realize that every human being has a secret, whether it be one that seems so small or one that seems like a great burden on ones shoulders. I believe post secret is an amazing tool to help lessen the burden of some of our most heavy secrets. It reveals to everyone a person’s deepest secret while containing their anonymity. It’s a way of letting everyone know without anyone knowing. I find this amazing because 1) it makes people feel more vulnerable to others and 2) you begin to realize that everyone is a little more a like than you originally realized.

After months of being an APU student and not looking at the PostSecret site, I finally gave in this past week. It was incredibly intriguing to see what my own peers would be so willing to post for all to see! Some, as you noted in the article, were humorous and low key, but many others brought to light the underlying issues of the Christian college atmosphere.

I think that PostSecret can be a huge positive for any university’s administrators. Using the problems and worries of the students, organizers could be putting together seminars for the students that are open to whomever wants to go. By doing this they can take care of any possible issues that PostSecret may bring to light, and also can backhandedly give support to those struggling students.

I enjoy reading Postsecret APU. It helps portray that we are real beings, not just a bubble of happy people. It shows how transparency and gives light to the struggles people face. I also enjoy reading comments or responses to secrets. Most are really supportive, like if someone wrote a secret about an eating disorder, many reply saying encouraging things. Postsecret APU is so interesting and I definitely read it a lot on my spare time last semester. It gives people a chance to relieve some weight off their shoulders and to let others help them carry that weight.

I think that this is a good way for people to get their secrets out. It also helps others who may think they are the only ones struggling with a certain issue to find that they are not alone, but at the same time is does not help them to get the help they may need. In our society we are afraid to tell people our problems and secrets for fear of being judged and giving someone the ability to know us deeper and to possibly hurt us (since those who are closest to us usually hurt us the worst). So surface level I believe that this helps people, but it is like putting a band aid on a wound, not the medication to heal the wound though.

This was really interesting for me to read because I am not sure how I feel about the whole post secret thing. I never really understood why people would post such personal things for strangers to see. However, I do think that this can be helpful and beneficial. It sounds like people come along side the individuals that are hurting and struggling. I personally do not believe that I would be able to post something but I really do admire those people that post. I think overall post secret is a good outlet for most people. However, there is always the risk that people will read these secrets and make fun or take them lightly. Overall, the concept is interesting and I can understand why it has become so popular.

I’m a huge fun of PostSecret… I follow the actual site and the APU site religiously. I think being able to get a secret that has been burdening someone off of their chest while still being able to remain anonymous is extremely therapeutic for both the actual person and other people who can relate to the secret and know they are not alone. I bought one of the first PostSecret books that came out, photocopied some of the secrets, and made a collage out of it that is currently hanging next to my bed to remind myself of the good that still exists in the world. Even though many of the secrets are dark and depressing, the fact is PostSecret has created a community of people that support each other in the good times and the bad. I think the original PostSecret project yielded amazing results, but with the popularization of “PostSecret” Facebook pages and the recent failed iPhone app, it has strayed away from the original purpose. PostSecret shouldn’t be about commenting on someone’s deepest darkest secrets with your own thoughts… it should be about recognizing the good and bad in humanity, about encouragement and comfort, and about knowing you are not alone in the world. With both PostSecret APU and the app, however, people used it as a way to advance their own agendas and put down people for what they are experiencing or what they believe. Though everything is anonymous, secret-senders are still being subjected to harassment and bullying, which takes away from the purpose of the entire experiment. There have been many secrets on the APU page relating to homosexuality, and people on both sides of the political spectrum are using the page as a forum for debate. Frank, the inventor of PostSecret, has stated that his intention was to create an outlet for people who are in pain and can’t live with the secrets gnawing away at them. He wanted it to be a save-haven of sorts… free from judgment and criticism. People should not be able to leave negative “comments” on other people’s anonymous secrets… that goes against everything PostSecret is trying to accomplish with the site and the books. The app failed because people were using it to fight with each other, exchange inappropriate photos, and put people down for what they are feeling. I hope the actual website never goes away and books continue to be published, but as for Facebook pages such as “PostSecret APU”, I wonder whether they are doing more harm than good. So long as people can submit their secrets without fearing judgment, sites can be successful, but when people have to read the negative responses to their convictions and experiences, it defeats the whole purpose of being anonymous. Whether you know who the secret sender is or not, they still have to feel the pain of people rejecting what they have to say, and while they might escape the embarrassment that comes with identification, they can’t escape how they feel after reading comments attacking their secret.

I’ve known about the bigger PostSecret since I was in high school. Urban Outfitters and Barnes and Noble’s sold books of the best secrets and of course the online site was really popular. Now that APU has one, everyone is really considering the depth of what this idea can do. APU is a private Christian school with the motto God First. With that as the defining factor of our education, there is no doubt that there will be certain restrictions or limitations on what we are publicly aloud to do. We signed up to go here. No one was forcing us to sign the covenant that we have to sign. But being surrounded by 3,000 plus other students the same age and time of life- its hard not to scrutinize each other. We are all fighting for the same goal, under the same rules, living in the same small area of Azusa. When the Post Secret APU site went up, I know there were lots of different opinions. It was truly eye-opening for me to see the secrets that people were willing to anonymously post. We walk around a campus of “community” and faith, but do we really know each other? I argue that we don’t. If there is so much pain and hurt (especially targeting APU and the APU bubble or stereotype), why did it take an online site to find out? Why are people so willing to confess in secret but so ashamed to get accountability in reality? I know the answer- we don’t want to be judged. My only fear about Post Secret APU is that we wont get any change. We will get so used to expressing ourselves in secrets, behind the veil of a anonymous post that all accountability or fellowship will be lost. On a Christian campus that stresses “community” so much, we cannot bare to lose that. We need to be willing to accept everyone for their own pains and struggles and offer comfort in person- not just online.

I have mixed feelings about Post Secret APU. I do love the fact that people can come to a place where they can release pent up emotion and reveal a secret without fear of condemnation directed at them? It is refreshing and enlightening to be able to see and understand what other people are going through. At the same time, my heart breaks for them especially those caught in deep despair and loneliness. I tend to agree with Kaley on her response about being on APU campus and a Christian community. It is a shame that it takes an online site for people to be able to confide yet they can’t come to actual people for fear of judgement and abandonment. I think that this is is a good challenge for those in our community to learn to reach out to others and accept without judging. In reality we are all no better than each other.

David, thanks for the thoughtful response on PostSecrets.

Thanks Kaley, for the thoughtful post about PostSecrets.

Emily, thanks for the great post on the PostSecrets article. Like you, I think it has helped a lot of people out and given them a venue for airing their angst which would otherwise stay hidden. The supportive comments that most get are heartening to see.

Danika, thanks for giving thought to the Post Secrets phenom. People do seem to be getting some support from this outlet, and that’s great.

Whitney, you’re right: We are afraid to self-disclose, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We should do it selectively. But there are some people who don’t feel they have any confidants at all. It is these people who get the most help from a Post Secrets site.

Gabbie, thanks for your response to the Postsecret article. I agree that many of the comments are supportive; most of them, in fact. That must help those who are in angst over their personal issues.

Donald, I agree that university administrators can find it helpful to use PostSecrets as a way of monitoring issues that are troubling students, and then design policies and methods to help address these issues and alleviate some of the campus angst.

I have to say that I like to read the comments that posted on the secret sites. It helps to remain myself because I can be one of them, too. We are not always happy and we are not always having friends around us to share with us. Therefore, the secret sites help us to have a place to talk about our sadness, happiness, or angry. It gives people chance to relieve our pressure. However, in the other side, we can discover how many people are living in the bad situation or even worse. I am also feel sad to read about those comments, but it remains me that the world not only have good side, but also have bad side. I just have to deal with it and keep out faith.

Before reading this article I had never heard about Postsecrets. I have mixed feelings about this site. I think it is good that people are willing to share their feelings on a site. However, if the comments are very private, then they may later on regret posting their innermost secrets on a public site. I find it sad that people feel alone, and feel that they have to share their secrets with a website instead of seeking help from an actual person.

Ashley, it is sad people feel so cut off from confidants that they have to resort to a post secrets site, but it’s nice to know at least that venue is available for someone needing to vent a frustration, secret desire, or a guilty feeling. Some supportive messages do flow back to them, and that always helps.

Parts of me really like Post Secret APU and a part of me does not because it makes me so sad that people are feeling so many things and feel as if they cannot share them. I think a lot of people feel they have to be a certain person here and I think the school plays a large role in that. There are chapels that tell people how to be and classes that students are required to take with a Biblical emphasize. It makes sense that students are afraid to verbally share their secrets. I also think though that is a good outlet and it does make people feel less alone at this school. It may give people courage to actually speak up and share what is on their mind and know that they are not the only ones struggling with a certain issue.

I kind of have mixed feelings when it comes to these sites. The postsecret site is controlled and only post responses of those who have experienced somethings similar or encouraging to say, which if you are one to have a secret posted the positive feedback could be life changing or even saving. When it comes to the APU postsecret facebook page, this is not the case and I have seen positive and negative feedback, which to the one posting their secret could really hurt more than help in terms of getting something off their chest or bringing something to the light for others. It seems to start debates that really seem to get no where. In terms of specific “secrets” or opinions that come out about APU itself, I feel as though it is a safe way to really let out some truths about students, profs, campus life and college life in general here at APU that really seem to be overlooked, unknown or simply ignored. Being a Christian campus I could see how it could be hard to express some opinions or self secrets and I beleive the APU postsecret facebook page really sheds light on some truths of the campus and takes away the stigma of the “perfect APU student.”

Tegan, I agree PostSecrets offers a good outlet for students to vent their issues that are plaguing them. Seems like a lot of positive support comes back to them in terms of comments on the site.

It has been interesting reading how others have reacted and been impacted by PostSecretAPU.

I am the one who started the site last semester for APU.
I left this semester because I couldn’t afford to stay and i decided that because I had gotten so much positive feedback from it helping people that I would pass it on to someone new.

The problem was, I was spending probably a minimum of 5-6 hours a day just monitoring the site in the fall. I wouldn’t put up with debates or negativity and the person i passed it on to, despite being wonderful, didn’t realize just how much time it took to monitor the website.

I saw some really great life changes come out of that and I had to deal with a lot of flack from a lot of people who didn’t understand it. In observing it this semester I decided it has served it purpose and contacted the person running it now and told them I thought it was time to shut it down. It was no longer being the encouragment it was designed to be.

It was always just made in hopes of being a stepping stone. A guide so people could see there ARE others who wont judge or condemn them.

Anyways– I appreciated your support Jim Willis and it was lovely to read everyone’s thoughts. I just thought I would chime in

Shannon

Shannon, thanks for the post and thanks for your work in creating the APU Post Secrets site. I know it took a ton of work. As long as it was drawing encouragement for those posting secrets, it served a great purpose. Sorry to see it’s gone, though I knew some “secrets” were moving away from the intended purpose of the site. It was a good venture while it lasted, though!

I knew about Post Secret when the All American Rejects wrote the song, Dirty Little Secret. Then a few months later someone showed me the book that it was based on and I couldn’t believe some the things I read. My initial reaction to it was one of shock, but I saw that some people might see this as being therapeutic. They are actually getting their secret off their chest without revealing who they are. When it came to APU and a site was made on Facebook again I was shocked. I wasn’t shocked about the Post Secrets, but the actual secrets. I realized that we all have our own crosses to carrying. As you mentioned there was support for those with troubling secrets. I was happy to see that and I glad that community is alive and well at APU.

I think that Post Secret is a really cool idea because it may be the first time that someone shares what is on their heart. Having the anonymity to share it and see what people say in response may give them the confidence to say it out loud to someone else so that they can begin working through whatever it is. Without having that outlet there may be many people that would never find the strength to share their secret with anyone else. However, there have been cases with the APU post secret which I don’t find to be particularly healthy or necessary. Oftentimes, people respond with love and offer help and prayer to those struggling with different issues. Although there have been entries in which I have seen people respond with such negativity and aggression that it is frustrating to see. There are many times that someone may post something that I fundamentally disagree with as a Christian, but I don’t think that ever makes it okay to respond and pour hatred onto someone. Aside from that, I also think it is shocking and heart breaking to see what students at our school are going through or have gone through in their lives. It is even sadder to know that you could read something and the person who wrote it could be someone you talk to in class or sit next to in chapel.