by Linley Mueller, Staff Writer
There are many people on college campuses everywhere that are aware of the socializing app called “YikYak,” an anonymous forum where people from different communities can post and interact with each other. There are ways this app can be used for good. For example, friends can be made and people can help others. It has become controversial, though, as things are being shared that should have been kept in the Notes app. Because of this divide, it may be important to ask the students that use it: is YikYak good or bad? Here’s what YikYak users have to say about the infamous platform:
There are many students that find the app to be a good thing. One person who enjoys YikYak says, “I think it is wonderful: I wake up, I check YikYak, I go to bed, I check YikYak. I love this app so much. I have screenshots on my phone of my favorite YikYak moments and I send it to my family. It’s honestly better than therapy.”
A different student said, “I think it’s good because it allows people to express themselves without being socially sanctioned. At the same time, that lack of being socially sanctioned can lead to very bad opinions being shared.” It is up to the user to engage with others on the app in a respectful way. In this way, the app can be used for good. These are a couple of reasons as to why it may pose a risk for others to get hurt.
“Anybody anonymous on the internet is bad, it can lead to toxicity because the consequences are limited and pure anonymity leads to other bad platforms.” It is good to question if anonymous posting could lead to problems.
A bad online environment can be the ultimate effect of YikYak.
Seeing these two extremes, it may be difficult to settle on the answer to the original question. There are many people who have thoughts that YikYak is good as long as it is not providing a space for negative discussion. For example, one student said, “I know a lot of friends who really enjoy using it as a source of entertainment and for jokes around campus. I feel like it gets bad when it refers to specific classes or groups of people because it feels less direct and it doesn’t actually go anywhere.”
Another said, “It’s a mixed bag. It’s bad to be mean to people. If you want to be funny, it’s a beautiful place to go for entertainment.” Statements like these could bridge the gap between the polarizing “good” and “bad” labels.
When people are offered an anonymous space to share anything, they may make the wrong decisions. It seems that many people would like the app to have a friendly atmosphere and be welcoming to all. Overall, students seemed to have the consensus that responsibility is a big part of using the app and that it is important that we work to make this a safe, positive online environment.