What is Sarahah app?
The apps description on Google Play Store reads that “Sarahah
helps people self-develop by receiving constructive anonymous feedback”.
Interestingly, Sarahah means ‘honesty’ in Arabic, though this honesty is
delivered anonymously. The app is available in English as well as Arabic
for iOS and Andriod users.
How does Sarahah app
work?
The users can either sign up either on the website sarahah.com or download the app from the
Apple or Android play store. Then they get a shareable link to their inbox that
they can pass around to friends-people have been typically using it on
Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat, where people can send you direct messages
anonymously.
The sender knows the identity of the
receiver, but the receiver will never know from whom the message came from.
What
is the purpose of Sarahah?
Sarahah was created by a developer from Saudi Arabia
called ZainAlabdin Tawfiq as a way for people to share honest thoughts
anonymously with their friends and contacts. Apparently the purpose of
the app is to help users at work discover their areas of strength and
those in need of improvement. Outside of the office, it is meant to give friends
a place to communicate honestly with one another both their strengths and areas
for improvement.
Unlike traditional social networks, users cannot interact with one
another directly. There is no reply mechanism, or indication of who a message is
from.
Why Sarahah is a risky venture especially for teenagers?
As a parent I believe that the potential
of misuse of the Sarahah app is enormous. Even if we trust the developers’
vision -- people sending you honest messages and perhaps constructive criticism,
it’s still very risky and could be a weapon for cyber bullies especially for
the vulnerable teenagers. Anonymity is an addictive drug that can be misused
very badly. As humans we tend to have a very nasty and sadistic side to us
which comes out at its worst when we have a mask of anonymity over our
identities.
It is worth mentioning that though
platforms like Google, Facebook and Twitter have worked hard over the years to
have people provide their true identities but they are still grappling with the
menace of trolling, hate messages and even life threats. Signing up with
Sarahah could means that you are deliberately exposing yourself to these
threats online. Currently the users have a mixed opinion of the use of app.
Some of the comments by the users’ on Google Play Store describe it as ‘‘great
concept and fun’’ while another one mentions that “My friend attempted suicide
because of what people were saying to her over this.” Personally I am not sure
whether the comment is true or not but definitely it alarming for any parent in
the world.
The app has all the makings of becoming
a breeding ground of hate and enmity.Also it appears to be the perfect recipe
for depression as it will either make
you feel very good about yourself or aggravate every insecurity and every
uncertainty you have ever felt harbored which is very dangerous in the case of
adolescents who are still developing their self identity. We know that children
are spending more time on internet than ever before are surely the worst victims
of cyber-bullying.
What can parents do?
The advent of “smart” technology has
made parenting for our generation more challenging than ever before. Let’s
accept the fact that we cannot stop children from accessing the internet. So
let’s educate our children about cyber ethics and safety.
As parents we need to keep an eye on the websites they surf, the
content they are looking up on Google. Sometimes the things that viewed as “fun,” “normal,” and “no big deal”
can be potentially dangerous. Also
there needs be rationing of the gadget time by keeping a watch on what children
do and don't. Ideally we should ask the children to play with their hands and
legs and not with their fingers.
These days children have become increasingly
isolated from the families so parental supervision of the internet usage is
very important especially in the case of younger children.
Regarding this app we need to talk to
our kids and try to find out if they have downloaded the app or know of their
peers using it. Also we need to encourage them to trust their own instinct about
how their peers perceive them, without seeking anonymous feedback that is
unlikely to be truthful.
As parents we need to take out time to
understand social media and discuss it with our children. In addition to
parental supervision, we need to equip them with everything they need to know
to make wise decisions about the usage of social media when you aren’t around.
