Yik Yak, Should I Talk Back?
-Marissa Bramble
(Defiance, Oh) Social networking is a huge part of college. Everyone loves to check in and see who’s doing what when. Social networking is a great way to stay connected with the people around you and your friends and family back home. However, the hardest thing is keeping up with what’s new and what’s in.
Now let’s introduce Yik Yak, Yik Yak is a completely anonymous app. It has become the new big thing on the East and West Coast, the Yik Yak Company is even touring all down the East Coast with their mascot in tow.
It has even gotten popular closer to us, just forty-five minutes away at Bowling Green State University and has even made an appearance here at Defiance College.
It can give the users a live feed of what people are saying around their area and other areas around the world. It’s almost like an anonymous twitter!
The app allows users to control what’s hot and what’s not. When someone makes a status you can vote up or down and if a status gets too many downvotes the status will be taken off.
Real Yik Yak posts demonstrate things that range from serious, “Didn’t sleep in my bed last night 😉 didn’t sleep in any bed last night. Didn’t sleep last night……….”, to hilarious, “My doctor told me to eat more Taco Bell… technically he said “less McDonalds” but I’m pretty sure I know what he meant,” to just plain out cheesy, “GIVE THE LEAVES SOME PRIVACY CANT YOU SEE THEYRE CHANGING???”
More recently Yik Yak has been in the spotlight due to the Indiana State University shooting on September 27th, 2014. Prior to the actual shooting there had been a post to Yik Yak stating, “I wonder if this school shooting is going to go as planned tomorrow.”
The next day there was a note found in the bathroom that read, “Start shooting at 1:15 be ready. Jihad.” The user who posted this status, Rashon Marshall-Bowen, was caught and now has court on October 29th, 2014.
Marshall-Bowen now faces up to 180 days in jail if convicted and she has been order to not have any contact with Indian State University.
In a way, Yik Yak was extremely helpful because it put the campus on high alert leading up to the actual shooting. However, due to the privacy of this site it makes users feel empowered and as if they can say anything they want, which is true, users can say anything they want.
Keep in mind, yes this site is anonymous, but is anything really anonymous nowadays? Until next time, Yak safely!
