By So, Sarahah is the new Dhinchak Pooja, the online ‘cringe pop’ artiste who became an internet sensation for releasing songs that for once, should not be called “songs”, actually.
No matter what you may term it as, the idea was too dhinchak to work for someone who, in a way, created and manipulated millions of internet audience towards its character designed to prick them in the right areas, or rather, wrong ones.
The marketing tactics pushed the online janta to hate ‘Dinchak Pooja’ so much so that today, Aakash Shah, the Head of Social Media at All India Bakchod, the Indian Comedy Group, pockets lakhs of rupees every month just by making people react on something that is totally useless, baseless and doesn’t add any value to their lives.
This time, your manipulator sits in Saudi Arabia. It is plain genius of Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq to create something like Sarahah that puts the world population to work for him.
Sarahah means ‘honesty’ in Arabic. It was originally introduced for employees to give constructive feedback to their employers. The app allows users to send messages to each other anonymously in a private setting. It basically resorts to thrill of being complimented or criticized by the known and yet not knowing their identity.
The app has gone viral and has people glued to it. And why? Simply because they want to know what they already know about themselves or maybe these are those people who give much importance to others’ opinions about their identity and are okay to let them compliment or insult anonymously. While for some people, such apps are “fun”.
But, who are these people who have an unbearable urge to try out something that’s not going to make any positive difference to their lives?
Those-
Who click to check what the app is about…
Who click to check what the buzz of the app is about…
Who click to check the DNA of the buzz…
Who click to be a part of the buzz…
Who click to be less bored…
Who click because others are clicking…
It is similar to the phenomenon of smoking and drinking. Remember the person who knows that smoking and drinking in excess is bad for health and will resist the indulgence? Neither do I. In fact, the weakest memory here is of the marketer who conveniently forgets the consequences of its injurious products to mint monies, a penny of which may go towards an eyewash via CSR activities but not to those who are steadily being gutted inside for mere addictive pleasure, of course.
Viral content on social media has a similar mechanism. It is designed for addiction and plays on the herd-mentality. It exploits the natural human tendency to turn curious over something that’s being talked about in a closer circle of influence, over & over again and makes one give into the urge of unraveling the mysterious topic which otherwise does not in any way impacts the normal course of living.
The content is designed to lure you to click and spend time on it. It may not be visibly injurious to your health but it certainly drains your brain. You invest your time, energy, money, mind and get nothing in return. In fact, it takes away much more from you. It leaves you thinking about things which otherwise you won’t give a damn to. It is nothing but bizarre to let it occupy your mind space, derail focus and have its producers make millions of bucks at your cost.
Just think. Would you ape those people who do social media posts of their newly-joined courses at Harvard and Stanford Universities and go there to “try out” and “check out” what those are really about or how they feel like? No. Simply because it is something that’s not easily available, there’s a process involved and you won’t make an effort to experience something that doesn’t appear to be gratifying instantaneously.
Just because apps like Sarahah or internet sensations like ‘Dhinchak Pooja’ are easily available, accessible and absolutely free, you will click and check those out because hey, after all, you don’t want to end up being someone who doesn’t know what’s happening on Facebook and the social media junkie status must be maintained.
But you know what really deserves to go viral? Posts like these –
And many more such pieces that create a positive, life-changing impact out there. The world needs more of such people who think about society at large as well. It is okay to be selfish and also play a role in bringing small changes with your talent & ability but it is not okay to be just selfish.
No matter how successful products like Dhinchak Pooja or Sarahah are, they are selfish to the extent of making quick bucks and that’s just about it.
And those clicking on such stupid stuff are one Dinchak Pooja themselves – manipulated by a mastermind who knows how to hit the psyche of a vulnerable internet user.
By the way, when was the last time you phoned your friends & talked your heart out to really know how much they love you and what they feel about you? The real ‘Sarahah’ is within you. It is when you don’t need to take shelter in a selfish, man-made creation to be expressive and know who you really are.
What do you think?