close

Beware of Yik Yak

2 min read

Yik Yak, an overnight sensation, has taken college campuses and high schools by storm. Yik Yak is an app that was created by college students, and it allows its users to anonymously post things to a live “feed” or “bulletin board.”

Although the app appears fun, it poses many serious questions about cyber bullying. Unexpectedly, peers use Yik Yak to call out other students by name. They are using Yik Yak as a megaphone to harass or bully other students. According to New York Magazine, “At Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut, students started talking trash about each other. One person wrote, ‘How long do we think before A. B. kills herself?'”

These posts are completely unacceptable. We are letting people use the veil of anonymity to tear others down. How far are must we go? Does someone actually have to kill himself or herself to get the message across? Don’t be naïve. Yik Yak isn’t as anonymous as it is portrayed to be. Recently, a Penn State student used Yik Yak to “anonymously” post a shooting threat to one of the student campus centers. University police were able to track the student despite the “anonymity” the app promotes. The student claimed it was a “prank,” but no one was laughing. This isn’t the only case of anonymous threats via Yik Yak.

There have been several instances in which people have posted bomb and death threats. Fortunately, Yik Yak has been cooperative in all investigations regarding threats via Yik Yak. Yik Yak may be all fun and games, but don’t post anything on there that you might regret later. Don’t use the anonymity of the app to tear others down. Let’s encourage our peers to use Yik Yak responsibly and who knows what might happen.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $4.79/week.

Subscribe Today