We all have it in our pockets. We check it in the elevator, the line at Starbucks, during boring conversations with those half-friends from orientation, and admittedly, in class. Yik Yak is another one of those go-to apps, to fill the silence, the boredom, the moments before you fall back asleep after getting up to pee at 4 a.m. It’s a kind of fast food social media. But just like McDonald’s, Yik Yak is turning out to be really, really unhealthy.
For the non-yakkers, Yik Yak is a social media app founded in 2013 by Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington. Like Instagram, Yik Yak functions almost exclusively on a mobile app that is free to download. Its concept is simple: an anonymous message board showing recent posts from users within a five-mile radius. Anyone can post anything, and users have the opportunity to “upvote” or “downvote” posts — called “yaks” — as they see fit. Users may also reply to yaks in a comment section, and those comments also accumulate upvotes and downvotes.
So, what’s the problem?
The anonymity offered by Yik Yak removes the type of accountability that is attached to other forms of social media. On Facebook or Twitter, for example, the things you post are directly tied to your name, image and identity. On Yik Yak, all of that disappears, and many users abuse the fact that there are essentially no repercussions for posting hurtful or offensive content. Yik Yak also provides users with an outlet to anonymously disseminate personal information and cyberbully others without the fear of lasting evidence.
Yik Yak has taken steps to reducing cyberbullying on its platform as well as creating a safe environment for users. Yaks with five or more downvotes, for example, are removed from the feed automatically. And Yik Yak’s rules specifically state that users “do not bully or specifically target other yakkers” and outline a “zero-tolerance policy on posting people’s private information.” Users also have the option to report yaks they may deem offensive or inappropriate.
But the system isn’t perfect. It would be unreasonable for us to expect it to be. All social media content is only as clean as its worst users. Cyberbullying happens on Twitter, Facebook and many other social media platforms, too. However, the nature of Yik Yak’s anonymous content reduces the penalty of bullying significantly. The worst thing that can happen to a cyberbully on Yik Yak is that the user is banned from Yik Yak. The worst things that can happen to victims of cyberbullying attacks are much more serious.
Further, it would be easier to accept the flaws in Yik Yak’s concept if the app showed some sort of utility. Social media is the newest and arguably most complex and advanced way of human communication ever invented. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media serve purposes in our lives: to stay connected, share information and create an identity. Yik Yak does none of that. Anonymity prevents users from engaging in lasting and meaningful ways, and a lack of accountability causes the flow of information to be inaccurate, biased and impractical. And the closest thing to an identity that Yik Yak offers is one’s “yakarma,” a number that documents the amount a user is engaging in the app. Yik Yak is a sad excuse for a social media platform because it curtails all of the empowerment and communication for which social media was built in exchange for a cheap thrill. I mean, when it really comes down to it, what is Yik Yak doing for us?
Aside from cyberbullying, the content of Yik Yak often deals with heated conversations about race, gender equality and sexual orientation. Speaking about these topics in an environment where none of the speakers are accountable for what they say has damaging consequences. Users have the ability to share false information, make offensive remarks and anonymously pose as members of a minority as a ploy for gaining credibility. Countless Yik Yak conversations about social issues include at least one comment like, “Well I’m gay, and that doesn’t offend me.” This type of environment is no place for meaningful discussions and debates that could serve to educate people outside of a toxic context.
In all of our interactions in life, it is important to remain accountable for the things we say. Freedom of expression and freedom from accountability are two very different things, and we are only guaranteed the first one for a good reason. Yik Yak gives us both, and sure, it can be fun to yak an embarrassing secret or to tell a stupid joke, but at what cost? We need to hold our social media to much higher standards.
I think you’re taking yourself way too seriously with this. I’ve been using the app for a couple months now and have seen absolutely zero posts that could be considered “cyberbullying”. In fact, from what I can tell, the user base is generally friendly and always eager to extend condolences or congratulations when the situation calls for it.
As for having to “hold our social media to much higher standards”: dude, it’s just another app to get Facebook/Twitter style status updates. Not everything has to deliver hard hitting news to be worthy of a few seconds of my time.
Yes, people will ignorantly argue about sensitive topics from time to time, but have you really never noticed people doing this on Facebook, Twitter, reddit, or nearly every other forum of online expression?
In short, yik yak is a fun little diversion that lets me gauge the general vibe of the student body. I’m by no means a power user, but I appreciate the fact I can spend a few minutes before class starts by reading what other BU students have to say. It’s not a serious app, it’s not means to be a serious app, there’s no need to treat it like one.