“Ugh…life.”
“I don’t understand myself”
“Loneliness”
These are just three headlines written by three of 10,000 users on ShareSpace, a new social platform and app dedicated to mental health and well-being, created by two friends Konstantin and Dan.
The ShareSpace Founders
Dan and Konstantin met in November 2019, in Los Angeles, California during an autoshow while they were both university students. While strangers at the time, Dan and Konstantin both saw a need to destigimatize mental health. Konstanin believes that mental health is something all of us have, and that it is important to take care of your mental health the same way you take care of your physical health . Both he and Dan felt a personal resonance to create an app that would have helped them have conversations that felt too difficult to have in person.
The Safety of a Social Platform
Social platforms like Facebook, AskReddit, and YouTube and other social media sites may feel like a safer medium, especially for younger generations, to identify and connect with similar individuals in the safety of their own home. However, these platforms were not designed for discussing mental health issues—nor are they tailored to accommodate mental health. In some cases, they have been shown to harm it.
“Being able to be open [while maintaining your privacy] is what ShareSpace is about” says Konstanin. ShareSpace focuses on compassion and the importance of knowing that users are not alone—an experience that threatened all of us during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Creating ShareSpace During the Pandemic:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Konstantin and Dan only met a total of three times in person. They found the power of sharing stories within the space between them. ShareSpace represents both Dan and Konstanin’s belief in the importance of connection and feeling empowered by peers. Ironically, ShareSpace first came to both of them as a large idea, prior to the pandemic. They then witnessed the unsettling uptick in anxiety and depression rates due to forced social isolation.
The pandemic validated the need for people to have a safe space to openly share. Mental health disclosure and peer support have been shown to alleviate depression and anxiety. This is what ShareSpace is all about. It is an app that illuminates the darkness people face alone to find connection, support, and solutions within a community of like-minded peers.
How Does ShareSpace Work?
ShareSpace users can post about personal challenges, personal and success stories, or just a reflection of their feelings. It is an app dedicated to empowerment, well-being, and finding solutions. Users are also connected with experts, who range from psychologists, life coaches, mental health influencers, therapists, well-being experts, and more. Experts can also create groups on the app to facilitate conversations and connect users with similar issues.
ShareSpace is designed to offer both inspiration and information. Experts with information can share resources, allowing mental health support to be more accessible. Users can also find freedom in expressing themselves however they wish.
While experts may provide practical solutions, the culture of ShareSpace is designed to create kindness, compassion, and reliability amongst all users. Peer support is key in ShareSpace, which is shown to offer optimism and hope for people. People who come to ShareSpace use this platform in the hopes of feeling happier and lighter, while being protected by the ample safety measures in place.
The Safety Measures for ShareSpace:
Both Dan and Konstantin assure that safety is maintained at all times within ShareSpace. There is zero tolerance for bullying of any kind, and users have the option to report any activity and block any other users that compromise their safety and comfort. Dan and Konstatin’s team is prompt in removing any hostile content to ensure a culture of safety and kindness within the app.
Additional features are also coming out to increase the level of safety. Expert profiles will have a verification check mark upon submission of their credentials. Users will be able to use digital masks and audio voice filters to increase confidentiality during any video/audio chats.
ShareSpace’s new features will come out on May 30th, 2022.
ShareSpace – A Well-Being Ecosystem
ShareSpace is continually growing its community and the future of ShareSpace will be a “well-being ecosystem” says Dan.
ShareSpace is an app that allows users to express, help, empower, and support each other. It is not an app that is aimed at collecting followers, beating an algorithm, or going viral. It is an app for users to experience that their well-being and mental health is truly cared for by their community.
—
On a mobile device? Click here to download the ShareSpace app now!
Click here to learn more about ShareSpace, a well-being communication space for mental health improvement and personal growth based on sharing, learning, and engaging with experts and each other.
–
This post brought to you by Sharespace
Photo: iStock
The post ShareSpace – a Space Created by Two Friends Who Shared a Similar Goal: To Build a Community Where People Feel Cared About and Empowered appeared first on The Good Men Project.
Original Article
