“I hate you.”
“You are stupid.”
“TBH, no one cares about you.”
These are all harmful comments that can be anonymously left in the DMs of unsuspecting victims.
Sarahah.com, the new social media website allows for bullying, anonymous insults, and if you are lucky, you may even get some compliments.
Launched June 13, 2017, this fad has spread like wildfire across the world, having over 250 million accounts existing today.
The word “Sarahah” means honesty in Arabic, with the original intentions of just that. Creator, ZainAlabdin Tawfiq’s original intention of the app was to allow employees to give their bosses feedback without fear of losing their jobs.
The app has since led to a string of cyberbullying such as harassment and death threats.
“I don’t think it’s good, honestly, because you can say whatever to a person, and I think that is a huge source of bullying and hiding behind a screen,” sophomore Oriana Hackworth said.
With no way to see who sends or responds to the messages off of the app, people are not afraid to speak their minds.
Although some people think Sarahah is only meant for evil, some think it is a good resource for teens.
“I use it because sometimes I get bored,” sophomore Hannah Smith said. “The first time I figured out what it was I wanted to see what people think, and then after that when I started doing it, got less and less because people already said what they think.”
Getting harsh feedback is painful. It activates the same part of your brain that physical pain does, according to psychologist Tanya Basu.
The feedback from the app could make it easier for people to learn how to take constructive criticism when they get older.