The iPhone and iPad Blog by Simon

This is a guest post by Adrienne Erin.

Much of the things that define us as human beings are the deep inner thoughts, feelings, loves and heartbreaks that we almost never share with anyone else. Sometimes they just feel too scary — or too personal — to share, but the creators of several popular anonymous apps realize that people want to share these things about themselves.

Now, it is possible to get the relief you need from getting that fight or little white lie that spiraled out of control off your chest – without the risk of revealing your identity. Simply download one of the popular anonymous apps from the App Store, and bask in other people's embarrassing stories or scandals.

Sharing some of the things that deeply define you with other people might just help you get to know yourself a little better. You might grow to find new interests or realize the truth about things that you have been trying to convince yourself are true.

Whisper

Whisper is described in its app store description as the best place to express yourself online, and it just might live up to its reputation. The people who use this app, generally young people like high school and college students, can share short, anonymous confessions or thoughtful musings based on a picture. Typical posts are just one or two sentences long and range from the hilarious to the bittersweet. With this sort of limit on post length, Whisper isn't a good place to vent, but it might be a good place to unburden yourself of a little guilt!



Secret

Started in Silicon Valley, Secret has pretty much stayed with that crowd. Attracting tech-savvy users like technical bloggers and people from the technology industry, Secret allows you to post short paragraphs that are visible to your phone contacts and other nearby users. If you work in the technology world — or are moving to San Francisco — this app may be a good choice as a place to unwind and share a little bit of what makes you who you are!



Yik Yak

Wondering what other people around you are thinking? Sign up for Yik Yak. According to the app store description, this app works sort of like a community bulletin board in a cafeteria. And, just like that bulletin board, it can easily be abused. Most posts can be pretty innocuous, but if Yik Yak is your choice to express yourself be aware that you can see the posts of other people who are within a certain range of you and the people who are nearby can see your posts. Most of the fans of this app are teenagers who would get in trouble if they said out loud what they were actually thinking.

Whether you are looking to come out of your shell a little or just connect with your friends on a deeper level, these anonymous apps have their upsides and down sides. With proper use, they could be a great asset to your social life, or just plain fun. But beware of that fact that the anonymity can create an atmosphere where it is easy to encounter cyber-bullying.

Have you had any experience with these apps? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

This is a guest post by Adrienne Erin. Adrienne is a freelance designer and writer obsessed with social media and the internet. To see more of her work, follow @adrienneerin on Twitter or visit her blog, Design Roast.

This article, 3 Anonymous Apps to Try: Whisper, Secret and Yik Yak, was originally published at simonblog.com.

The post 3 Anonymous Apps to Try: Whisper, Secret and Yik Yak appeared first on The iPhone and iPad Blog.