Bengaluru: A chat platform that lets users send each other anonymous messages is taking the internet by storm once again. Called Sarahah, the website-cum-mobile application is catching everyone’s attention and the participants are growing by the minute.
Sarahah, which has its origins in the Middle East and translates to honesty in Arabic, has recently gained popularity through Facebook, like its predecessor Sayat.me. The trend is dangerous, especially for youngsters, as suicidal games like the Blue Whale Challenge, which originated in Russia, have already found their way to India, which is similar to Sarahah in its anonymity factor. Apps and websites like these make it dangerously easy for cyber bullies to run riot, exchange inappropriate content among minors and in general bad for one's mental health.
With the reach that the internet has, children and young adults are more vulnerable than ever, warns city-based educationist A.V. Varghese. “It is not such an issue for adults, as ostensibly it is an app designed for those who want to get ‘anon’ feedback on their selves. But among minors, one of the reasons they might relate to it is curiosity and the publicity that it has generated. Children may have no knowledge that they can get flamed or abused or bullied until they meet the predators and vicious folks. Kids using the app are vulnerable to unsafe 'virtual' touch that can affect them psychologically,” he says.
There have been protests all over the world about surveillance by government agencies on citizens and these applications are a result of such regulations, he opines. “Tracking of online activity by all sorts of agencies – governmental, legal, police and other illegal outfits who without permission pry into our private lives and gather all sorts of data surreptitiously, imposition of Aadhaar for instance. In that sense, these anonymous channels or secret chat apps are useful to bypass this policing,” he says.
Often, the messages get nasty and it may not just stay limited to children. The comments may be directed towards adults as well, says Mr Mansoor Khan, Member, Board of Management, Delhi Public School, Bengaluru. “You don’t know who is ragging whom. You cannot predict at all. This kind of anonymity gives power to a user to say something and get away with it. It can even result in nasty comments from teachers to students as well. At a minor age, they don’t understand the consequences, but adding to an already chaotic time, it is like fuel to the fire.”
Psychologically, it is a trap, says Dr Jini K. Gopinath, a city-based clinical psychologist. “It leaves them susceptible to violence and bullying, and it could scar them for life. At an age where admiration becomes a driving force, Sarahah and similar apps actually make the line between reality and fantasy hazy. It gives them a false perception of importance and they get caught in the web. It would be in an ideal world where applications are filtered by iOS and Android platforms. I would advise parents to monitor their children and be more alert,” he said.
The worst part is that it cannot be controlled or stopped, says Manju Balasubramaniam, principal, Delhi Public School (North). “Applications like these will keep cropping up and there is no way to deny kids technology anymore. The only thing we can do is educate children and young adults about the dangers they pose. We have to make them aware enough and do it constantly, so that they can make sensible choices,” she says. Schools must make year-round efforts to keep their students in the loop about cyber bullying and inappropriate content, so that they can be reported before it goes out of hand, she says.
Bakula Nayak, a city-based artist and activist, agrees. “Parents are usually clueless about these issues. Having an open relationship with children is effective. If they have enough validation at home, they don’t tend to look for it outside. Even without such apps, there are enough perverted minds that prey on kids these days, and the cloak of anonymity makes it worse. We have to be more vigilant and also keep a check on the company they keep,” says the mother of three.
