Everyone on social media, be it on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter, is talking about the Sarahah app. This app has indeed gained a lot of recognition among people. We’ve all at some point in our lives wanted to tell our friends or our colleagues about their strengths, weaknesses, areas of improvement and so on. Well, here is an application that will give you a chance to convey some constructive feedback (if you keep it constructive). Sarahah is the brainchild of a Saudi Arabian developer - Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq. The app was launched on June 13, and in just two months, the app has gained a tremendous amount of success.
So, what is Sarahah App?
Sarahah is an Arabic term, which signifies honesty or openness. However, due to its growing popularity, the developers decided to launch it as an app for everybody. While some may definitely know about this application and its functionality, there are still numerous who are astounded by the craze. The app is available in Arabic as well as in English in the play store.
How does the app work?
Like any other application, after you have downloaded Sarahah, you will have to set up an account. Simply put in your name, username, email, and enter a password. Once signed in, the user can share their Sarahah link on Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp. Any individual who has the link will be able to send the user messages. This could be the user’s friends or for that matter even strangers who are on the app. When the user receives the message, they simply get the text and don’t know who sent the specific message.
However, this is not a regular messaging app, and other than sending arbitrary anonymous messages to users, it doesn’t offer much. The tabs on the application are restricted to messages, search, explore, and profile. When the user receives a message they can favorite it, block the user or even report it. Despite the fact that what occurs after the user reports a message is vague.
Drawbacks about the app
Questions are being raised about the credibility of the application. Is this application truly helping in building useful relations with others? Are the accounts on the app truly secure? These are a few of the factors that need to be focused on and some of these have already begun to worry the users.
Sarahah claims that the application is for conveying constructive feedback; however, it is being used for adverse purposes. Numerous users are receiving hostile or insulting messages, which are becoming unbearable to some. Senders are additionally commenting on the looks and personality of the users, which is infuriating; leading the users to deactivate their accounts.
Spreading hatred and enmity can brainwash young minds, persuading them to do something unethical. We have seen the Blue Whale challenge which is another genuine case of the dark side of social media. The government on seeing the negative effect of the game asked authorities to take down anything which seems to promote the game. Likewise, this app may also lead to something similar.
Sarahah is an ideal place for cyberbullying and the application is popular among teens. Most grown-ups are sensible enough to remain away from such threats, but not the teens. Harassing in any form emerges to be hurtful to anybody, particularly children. At a young age where the minds are still developing, negativity from these apps can have an adverse psychological effect on them.
Conclusion
Sarahah is still in the developing phase. It has been a fun app to let colleagues and friends know about their strengths, weaknesses, areas of improvement and much more. Yet, these things can get out of control. The truth is that receiving mean messages can be a disturbing experience for most. Besides, if this happens, creating constructive feedback may change completely to something really horrid in a blink of an eye. So, our take on it is 2 out of 5 stars. It’s an innovative idea with perhaps a noble thought but needs to iron out issues related to psychological misuse and perversion.
