Sarahah, an app that allows users to send anonymous messages, has gone viral, following the footsteps of similar apps such as Snapchat and Whisper.
Sarahah definitely has its fair share of feel-good stories, as anonymous messages have the capability of brightening up someone's day. However, users should be warned that there is also a very dark side to the app.
Sarahah: What It Is And How To Use It
Sarahah, available for the iOS and Android, was created in Saudi Arabia by Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq. The app was named after the Arabic word for "honesty," and describes itself as a method for users to receive honest feedback from friends and colleagues.
Users will have to sign up using their email after installing the Sarahah app, leading to its minimal interface. The main Message window shows three tabs, for received messages, favorite messages, and sent messages. The bottom bar, meanwhile, has four tabs, for Messages, Search, Explore, and Profile.
Users can search for their friend through the Search function, and upon tapping his or her profile, the app will bring up a message box. Users can leave their message for the person here, though only text allowed and not images.
The receiver of the message can either mark the message as a favorite or block the sender. The receiver, aside from not knowing who sent the message, also has no option to reply.
Sarahah: Motivation Tool Or Cyberbullying Platform?
Some Sarahah users are uplifted by the nice words that they receive through the anonymous message app. Sometimes, people are simply shy to tell others why they admire them or how they feel about them, and Sarahah provides a platform for communicating those messages. There are also people who like to make others happy, and Sarahah is the perfect app for that.
However, the ability to hide behind a virtual veil also makes the platform a potential channel for cyberbullying, and there are already reports of some users being victimized by this. Unfortunately, society has found a way to transform an app supposedly for positivity into another one fueled by hate.
While users can block the sender of such message, the damage has already been done at that point, potentially lowering the self-esteem of the receiver.
Should You Install Sarahah?
Sarahah certainly has its merits as a communication tool, as users can learn a lot more about how others see them. Messages received through the platform can uplift their spirits or motivate them to do better.
However, the app opens up users to cyberbullying, and for users who do not want to be exposed to this activity, it is probably better to skip installing Sarahah in the first place.
