What would someone tell his friends if none of them knew he said it?
Secret, a new social network, answers that question. It has spread worldwide from Silicon Valley, earning more than $1.5 million in investments as reported by Forbes.
Secret allows its users to post text over an image anonymously. The app uses their contact list to find friends who also use Secret. Users see their friends' posts without any names.
The app also allows strangers to view and comment on users' posts.
There are no friends lists or messages on Secret. Posts are not deleted.
"Sometimes I pretend I'm OK because I don't want to annoy people with my problems," one user posted anonymously from Missouri. "I just don't have a friend I can trust with my secrets."
Secret's co-founders have said they want to help users connect without worrying about what their friends will think.
"I want to see more people being open and connecting around real sentiments," said Secret co-founder Chrys Bader to The San Francisco Chronicle. "Secret is an app for the introvert in you. All these other social networks are for the extrovert."
Bader, 30, and David Byttow, 32, released Secret on Jan. 30, 2014. They did not respond to requests for comment.
Bader and Byttow wrote a blog post explaining that they designed Secret to encourage more open and honest social networking.
"As social networking has become universal, we've become increasingly sensitive to what we share online," they wrote. "Speaking on a stage in front of a mixed audience of family, friends, and acquaintances makes it hard for us to be our most authentic selves. As a result, we tend to share only our proudest moments in an attempt to portray our best selves. We filter too much, and with that, lose real human connection."
James Neer, senior in electrical engineering, said he was skeptical of posting such personal information online.
"I still feel like that's kinda wrong to post things like that," Neer said. "I think it's better to do it in private than make it open to the world where anybody can see it."
Other students expressed doubts about using another social network in addition to popular services such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
"I just don't have the time for that," said Ford Galin, junior in business. "It's not the type of thing that would interest me."
Victoria Sexton, sophomore in nursing, said she did not want to spend more time using her phone.
"I'm trying to stay away from my phone as much as possible, trying to be more social," Sexton said.
Neer said he also preferred to spend time with people in person.
"I feel like you waste a lot of time always on the apps," Neer said. "You could spend a lot of time doing that versus actually sitting down and grabbing lunch and talking to people."
Secret is available for Android and iPhone.
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