Student Safe Apps: Is Sarahah One of Them?

Student Safe Apps: Is Sarahah One of Them?

When the social media application Sarahah was launched in 2017 it became instantly popular, especially among students ages 12-17. But at present Sarahah is a cause for concern among both parents and teachers. The reason: it promotes cyberbullying.

What is Sarahah?

Sarahah is an anonymous messaging application through which users can send digital messages to each other. Although originally developed for the purpose of anonymously sharing and receiving feedback and constructive criticisms, it is the very anonymity of this app that is promoting cyberbullying.

Here’s how:

Once the profile is created, students can send anonymous messages to their friends and contacts, as well as to other users, even if they don’t know them. These messages range from being mean and critical to extreme threats and sexual messages sent with the intent to harm. The anonymity combined with lack of repercussions embolden students to misbehave.

Sarahah can also be linked to other social apps, the most popular one being Snapchat. This means that students can share screenshots of their Sarahah comments on Snapchat or vice versa.

Keeping Students Safe

The prevalence of cyberbullying and invasion of privacy through Sarahah has enhanced the need to keep students digitally safe and secure. Teachers can collaborate with parents and equip students with the necessary skills and information to help secure their digital safety and privacy. These are a few measures that can be followed:

Talk to your students: The first step is to have open conversations with the students regarding these points:

• Appropriate online behavior and activity
• Do’s and Don’ts of use of social media and the consequences of one’s actions on social media
• Dangers present in the online world and how to handle them
• Cyberbullying and its impact on others
• Rules and regulations for digital activity

Choose the correct settings: Educate students about the privacy and blocking features available in the application. Students can choose to block any offender, preventing them from further messaging the user. Similarly, they can choose not to appear in searches or to receive messages from unregistered users.

Beware of scams: The most common scam associated with Sarahah is the “anonymous” pop-up, advertising a site which can determine the identity of the user sending comments.

Foster Positivity: Teachers can play a key role in helping students develop their self confidence and trust in themselves. This prevents students from relying on opinions and comments of random individuals to feel good about themselves. Teachers can model how to give constructive feedback and criticisms to others.

As with all digital safety issues, the most important measure is to develop trust and create a safe environment so that students can approach teachers when they are struggling.

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