My informant sent me several examples of digital folklore, including memes and creepypastas. This particular creepypasta was among them, and is to me particularly effective in the way its presented.

Informant:

“You know that ringing sound that you will hear when you are in a very quiet area? Some people say this is an auditory-illusion brought about the ear’s inability to detect frequencies below the threshold of the human senses. This is completely wrong. That ringing covers up something else altogether. If you are quick, patient, and maybe a little lucky, you will be able to hear past the ringing. What you will hear are voices whispering to each other. They will silence themselves quickly but with practice, you will become more adept at catching and interpreting what they are saying. You will hear things of the past, the present, and the future. However, you must be careful. Because there is no such thing as a voice without a body.

And when you start noticing them, they will start noticing you.”

My analysis:

This creepypasta is short but effective. It utilizes much of its effectiveness from taking a common phenomenon people may experience or imagine they do(Ringing in your ears.)  It utilizes human curiosity in the telling, emphasizing a hidden secret that may be unveiled if enough effort is expended to find it. However the caution embedded int the tale is an overt indicator to the reader not to expend too much effort in attempting to discover too much about information beyond what is normally available to them. This creepypasta works on a level, because it is implied that anyone with the right level of attention can access it. This may elevate it to an intended urban legend and an increased level of believability in the tale.