There has been recent controversy and skepticism in correlation to the widely popular app, Yik Yak. Many of you have probably heard about it through friends or spotted classmates perusing it during that mid-way point in lecture when you glance at the clock every couple of minutes to confirm the passing of time. Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington, two Furman University graduates and fraternity brothers, developed Yik Yak with the vision of creating a “virtual bulletin board” among communities.
From cyberbullying in Chicago and Georgia to bomb threats in San Clemente, it’s no surprise that parents and school administrators have made attempts to ban the app. Yik Yak has been attacked by the media following these events because they have allegedly done nothing to enforce their own rules, including, “DO NOT bully or specifically target other yakkers.” But, can anything really be done?
The answer is yes. Firstly, Yik Yak has changed the age limit to 17+, meaning that parents can place restrictions automatically blocking their underage children from downloading the app (this can be done for any app given an age restriction).
Also, schools which are receiving an abundance of reports on negative posts will be blocked. Instead, they will be presented with the following:
Many communities have been actively making the pledge to delete Yik Yak, but by becoming a nonparticipant, it is my concern that we are avoiding the issue. We cannot stop anonymous posting apps like Yik Yak from being developed, however we can control the content of our posts.
Stop the bashing. If you don’t know how, take note because these yakkers are the real MVP’s:
“Sometimes the moon looks like a carrot if you just hold a carrot in front of it and look at the carrot instead” – Carnegie Mellon University
“Getting a care package in college is equivalent to getting a sponsor in the Hunger Games” – Boston University
“It’s always the person you least expect to be a bad*ss at the crosswalk who leads us across like a jaywalking Moses.” –Georgia State University
“This Ebola virus seems pretty serious, I’m going to take an extra Flintstone gummy tomorrow morning.” –Abilene Christian University
“I love girls who text first. Mom you da real MVP.”- Auburn University