By Zach Waltz
Sports Editor
Just when I thought social media couldn’t get any more hectic, Yik Yak has quickly become a hit at St. Bonaventure and college campuses nationwide.
For those who have yet to download the app, Yik Yak is essentially an anonymous Twitter feed with everyone’s “yaks” from your surrounding area. It is just as crazy as you would think.
With people sending out yaks about nearly everything, it’s a never-ending stream of anonymous compliments, insults, random thoughts and jokes. As if that isn’t enough to make your head spin, there is an up-vote and down-vote system that shows which yaks are popular, and yaks with more than five down votes are instantly removed from the feed.
There are some limitations, however. Names and numbers are strictly prohibited, and yaks that are flagged are quickly deleted. Additionally, the app emphasizes that bullying is not allowed. Despite these restrictions, yaks frequently slip through about specific people that could be viewed as offensive. These posts may mainly be jokes posted by friends, but not all of these yaks are simple pranks.
As with all social media outlets, it is important to show restraint when using Yik Yak. The posts are seen by everyone with the app on campus, so even though it is anonymous, yaks still have an impact on the way people look at each other. Because of the way the app is set up, no one is safe from having someone post a yak about a bad hair cut or having a stain on your shirt.
Personally, I enjoy the app, and I think the idea behind it is brilliant. I’m often in situation where I want to tweet something, but I don’t want to come across as weird or offensive.
Yik Yak offers the unique ability for people to post thoughts or jokes without having to worry about attaching their name to the post. While this may seem like the ultimate form of social media, it’s necessary to use this app with a sense of maturity and not abuse it.
We live in a time when a lot of information is on social media, whether we want it to be or not. Yik Yak takes that to the next level by allowing people to post with no filter and not having to worry about the social kickback that may come from posting something offensive.
No one wants to see their name in an anonymous post about how bad their feet smell or that you had something in your teeth all day. I think Yik Yak is hilarious, and I hope that it continues to be a common app among students on St. Bonaventure’s campus.
However, I think we should all keep one golden rule in mind: yak about others as you would want to be yaked about.
