Hovering over the delete button is something we all have done. Will you regret what will happen if the message is sent?

The Unsent Message Project, first created by Rora Blue in 2015, is a website that displays anonymous digital messages to first loves on colored square backdrops.

According to the Unsent Message Project website, “The term first love is open to interpretation and messages have been submitted to lovers, best friends, exes, parents, siblings, and even pets … The Unsent Project aims to provide an emotional outlet for those that need it.”

Since its release, the website has gathered over five million responses from people all over the world.

In 2022, Verde conducted its own version of this project, sending out a Google form with the prompt “Submit any message to someone else on campus, indicate the recipient’s first initial, and then choose the color you associate with the message.”

This year, Verde decided to run the project again with the prompt “Submit any message (anonymously) saying something you wish you would have said to someone else on campus.”

From Jan. 27 to Feb. 6, Verde put up QR code posters around Palo Alto High School along with a Schoology message with the link to an anonymous form.

A note: “All messages will be filtered through for hateful and threatening words and phrases towards a person or group,” was put on both the form and poster for students to follow.

Many of the responses Verde received surround the theme of love and friendship even though not explicitly instructed to do so.

From this survey, it is clear that many messages left unsent are messages of appreciation, yet they are left unsent for fear of conflict or consequences.

Below is a collection of the student responses. All messages were kept in their raw, unedited form with the colored backdrops chosen by the sender. 18 of the 32 responses are displayed in our print issue, while the rest can be found here.