There are numerous things that often find a place on my to-do list. A book I want to read, a recipe I found that I want to try from scratch, a quiet and warm nook that I want to make at home where I can relax after a long day and that little DIY project that I have been postponing for a while now.
But between everything, I do not really get too much done from the list. As I struggle to find time to juggle office work and other things, there are times when I wonder if 24 hours is too less a time to do everything as well as catch up on sleep. But it looks like for some 24 hours is a lot of time, where apart from everything else, they even find time for things like Sarahah.
I can't even begin to explain how twisted an idea it is. Not only is it weird, the fact that it comes at a time when online bullying and the Blue Whale Challenge are already creating a menace is even more painful. For those who have not really caught up to the trend -- trust me you are not missing out on anything good -- Sarahah, which means honesty in Arabic, is an online tool, where you sign-up and create a page. You then post the link to your page on social media sites and people can ANONYMOUSLY write what they think of you -- good or bad.
Though I agree a lot of people may receive good and encouraging messages, the flipside is pretty risky and may have serious consequences. For instance, it may generally sound like something one would do for fun, but it may not really be so much "fun" to receive rape threats on it, would it? Yes, that happened! A girl is said to have received a rape threat on her page and is clearly "horrified."
"It's scary how people use anonymity to unleash the worst version of themselves. I had received my fair share of 'criticism' on this app, and it had mostly stayed in the territory of silly physical taunts, but this was such a rude shock," she told the Quint.
"I've been told on Twitter that I should have expected this, joining an anonymous messaging app, but even while trolling someone online there's a line that you shouldn't cross. I've also been told that this is not a 'real rape threat', but the fear and panic I felt was very much real."
At a time when people upload images on social media and enjoy the validation -- we are all guilty of it -- would trends like these really be fun for someone, for instance, already struggling with self-esteem issues? Before you argue that someone with self-esteem issues should not sign up for such things, don't we all dislike, or rather hate, something or the other about ourselves? That tiny freckle on the nose, a scar you probably got as a child, a mole, your hair, your eyes, you get the point!
Would it be fun to realise that the things that you have been insecure about all your life are exactly the things people are mocking you for? How would you feel if you have been really trying to lose those extra pounds and a friend or foe mocks you for the exact thing? And you cannot even confront them because, of course, the whole "game" is anonymous.
Aren't teens dealing with enough peer pressure and stress around it that we need Sarahah too? Have we, as internet and social media users, become so insensitive that we enjoy belittling others online just because we can hide behind a mask? Do we have no empathy left?
People who are close to you, love you and actually matter, will not need to hide behind a social media game. They will come tell you exactly what they think and you will probably agree with them. And for those who aren't close to you, does it really matter what they think of you?
