What Parents Need To Know About Sarahah, the New Anonymous Messaging App

For parents raising kids in this digital age, it can be difficult to stay on top of all the social media sites your child can join. It seems like every day there is a new app they can download to connect and share with their friends. The latest app that is grabbing the attention of many young users is called Sarahah, and if your kids are using it, you'll want to check out the app for yourself.

Sarahah is a free social media app that lets users receive comments anonymously from friends and strangers. Users can also post digital notes on friends' and strangers' profiles without them knowing it's you behind the messages. While receiving positive notes sounds great, the messages are not always positive. According to Common Sense Media, the app was designed to allow employees to share feedback with each other anonymously about their work and job. However, it has caught the attention of many teens.

Even though the app is rated and recommended for ages 17 and older, it seems plenty of teens and tweens are using the app and linking Sarahah to their Snapchat accounts. If their accounts are linked, they can share screenshots of comments they receive through Sarahah. So while some messages are positive, users can leave cruel and inappropriate messages anonymously.

So how can you keep your kids safe on this app? If your teens are using Sarahah, be sure they choose to opt out of having their name or profile picture appear in the app's search. This way, your child cannot receive messages from unregistered users. If they don't choose this option in the apps settings, the name and photo they use to register will appear if other users search for them.

Common Sense Media also recommends talking to your children about posting anonymously and how often people write crueler messages than if they were in person. They also recommend coming up with strategies to handle internet bullies and trolls and when to come to you for help.