Blah Therapy Research Paper

Section #1 - Challenge Idea:
My idea starts with my goal to become a better listener. When I thought about how to become one, I immediately thought of a website called “Blah Therapy” (www.blahtherapy.com), where I used to visit during my off-days and share my thoughts with strangers. “Blah Therapy” is a platform where internet users can come to consult professional therapists or talk to other strangers anonymously. For the “Talk to Strangers” option, users can either be a “venter” – someone who needs someone to talk to – or a “listener”. Upon realizing that most people are usually a better talker than a listener, I have decided to spend more time listening to those who need to talk or “release”. My plan is to visit “Blah Therapy” again, become a “listener” and help establish

I also plan to engage the “venters” with me on my project by asking them to come back to “Blah Therapy” as “listeners”.

Section #2 - Implementation Process:
Since February 23, 2017, I have spent over 3 hours on “Blah Therapy” talking to 3 people of different ages and backgrounds. Each conversation lasted for about 1 hour. On the 23rd, I had a conversation with a student studying filmmaking. He was having a bad day, partially because the grandfather of one of his close friends just passed away. During the chat, we talked about how to cope with grief when we lose a family member. My strategy was to distract him from negative thoughts by encouraging him to focus on the future and embrace uncertainties in life. By the end of the chat, I could tell that he felt a lot more optimistic about life as he decided to go watch “A Cure for Wellness” the day after. On the 25th, I had a conversation about love with a teenager from Pennsylvania. She told me about a boy at school who was flirting with her and asked me for some dating advice.