Bolly Tolly News, Kolkata10th August,2017 : The new viral sensation - Sarahah is an app that allows you to send messages to people under the shard of absolute anonymity. Sarahah is an Arabic term that means honesty. The application already has over 300 million users and has raised concerns from parents and educators from all corners of the globe that it could be used for online bullying and abuse.
Many people are calling the application evil or the work of a sadistic and perverted mind. But no one has stopped to ask this question - Is it the applications fault or the users who are using it? The app is a platform. The users are the problem. The Sarahah app is a sad indictment of all that is wrong with our society today.
The maker of the application Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq asserts that the purpose of the app is to send constructive feedback. However, going by the number of messages posted on social media about how the applications is being used to harass people, it has proved the age old saying - when you give people a mask, they will reveal their ugliest self.
The Sarahah app has proved the age old saying - when you give people a mask, they will reveal their ugliest self
Sarahah is a perfect application for two kinds of people - for narcissistic people who believe that the world revolves around themselves and for sadistic trolls who get pleasure out of abusing and harassing people online.
The app has all the makings of becoming a breeding ground of hate and enmity. One distinct feature of the app which makes it even easier for bullies to thrive is the fact that you can don't need to make an account to send messages to others. This is like having the cake and eating it too - you will not be able to receive messages but you can send as many you can.
The application is also being abused by those who just want to feed their ego. You can send messages to yourself and proudly display them on social media. This is a reflection of today's world - where Facebook likes, Snapchat followers and Instagram likes matter more to people than actual friends, face to face interactions and familial bonds.
It is a perfect app for two kinds of people - for narcissistic folks who believe that the world revolves around themselves and for sadistic trolls.
This is not the first time an application has come under the scanner for encouraging online harassment. In the past, apps like AskFM and YikYak were accused of promoting bullying and abuse. In fact AskFM was blamed for a string of teenage suicides in UK and Italy in 2012.
Tawfiq, the developer of the app has said that the company takes these issues very seriously and has introduces a slew of measures such as the ability to block users and word filters to prevent abuse. However, at the end of the day, the responsibility lies in the hands of us - the users.
We as a society have become thoroughly accustomed to anonymity. So much so, that we seemed to have forgotten the basic morals and codes of conduct that weave a society together. Anonymity brings out the worst and the ugliest sides of our being and sadly apps like Sarahah inadvertently encourage and propagate such behaviour.
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