what seemed myself Anonymous Online Community Draws on Weak-Tie Theory to Share Pandemic Stories

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an era when no one is really "fine," social media personas continue to chip away at our mental health. Attorney, wife, and mother Caitlin Robinett Jachimowicz relied on her study of psychological trauma to offer a solution through the newly launched website what seemed myself. Named from a line in an ee cummings poem, the website provides people an opportunity to engage anonymously online about how they are truly dealing with all aspects of life during the pandemic. 

The sustained trauma people are experiencing is compounded by the fact that we don't have access to social ties outside of our inner circle. The importance of these connections, defined as "weak ties" by sociologists, is illustrated by how frequently people share vulnerable details with hairstylists and bartenders rather than with people close to them. A listening ear with no connection to back to your family and close friends provides a safe place to share without any information flowing back to your core group.  

"When life skid to a halt, I found myself isolated in my home with my two children—an extroverted Kindergartener and a toddler with an immune disorder. The more I checked on friends the more I realized none of us were really okay. There was also an overwhelming sense of guilt, a feeling that if we had our health, a home, and food to eat, we shouldn't complain. We do not know what the long-term effects of the pandemic are going to be on our mental health, but I do know that not having a safe place to talk with others about our experiences will only compound the trauma. So, I decided to do something about it."

Through the website www.whatseemedmyself.com, Jachimowicz and her team accept "Dear Self" letters, confessionals written anonymously by readers who need to be heard on issues they can't necessarily bring to their spouses or families. The online community also includes an advice column with questions open to reader comments, a section for parenting questions, and Jachimowicz's own writings.  The website is open to guest blogs and merch collaborations to help readers bring the feeling of support they receive from the digital realm into their daily lives. 

For more information or media inquiries, email [email protected] or call Ms. Jachimowicz at (415) 680-4680.

SOURCE what seemed myself