There
is yet another anonymous app joining existing services like Secret and Whisper.
This one is called Truth, and it allows users to send anonymous messages to
people in their contacts.
In
order to use this app, users are assigned a username (and a cute little owl
avatar) in which they use to message people in their contacts. If the person
they are messaging has the app, then the message just comes up the app’s inbox.
If the person does not have the app, then the “truth” will appear as a text
message and in order to read the whole thing they will have to download the
Truth app and view it there.
Unsurprisingly,
the app has been popular with high school and college-aged users, possibly
because they are looking to other outlets that aren’t plagued by ads or older
adults like Facebook and even Twitter. We shouldn’t be shocked that this type
of technology has surfaced since apps like Secret and Whisper have become so
popular.
The
article I read also discussed the potential dangers of this type of app, like
cyberbulling. It has been proven enough that when people interact with each
other anonymously, they can be vicious. Just look at YouTube comments or
message boards. I would hope that if people are messaging their own friends and
family in the app, they would be a little kinder, but I would not put it past
certain people to be harsh to each other. It would be nice to think that people
will only use this app to send cute confessions to their crushes, but I just
don’t think that’s realistic. As long as Truth has a way of dealing with
cyberbullying, however, I think this app will be pretty successful.
I don't like the idea of this app at all. When you text someone, it is courtesy to the person being texted to know who is messaging them. If someone has something important to share, they will not care if their identity is exposed. Allowing the anonymous sending of messages is pretty sketchy and as the article said could lead to bullying and other harmful activity. I do not see this app as an improvement to the communication platforms already offered to technology users.
ReplyDeleteIn theory, this sounds like it could be a cool app. Mess with your friends by sending creepy messages and they don't know it's you. Or, probably mostly high school students, send little love messages to their crush. Realistically, this app is pretty creepy and will definitely, unfortunately, be used for cyber bullying. This app is not a good way to connect with people, as most social media is designed for, but more a way for creeps to do their bidding.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that it is cool that we have the technology for apps like this, that doesn't mean that they are a good thing. I agree with the others in that I think this may cause more harm than good. If someone really has something that important to say, they should be able to put their name to it. It just increases the "bravery" that people feel hiding behind technology that they wouldn't ever do in person.
ReplyDelete