Everyone should give Yik Yak a chance

A rebuttal to the article ‘Yik Yak fosters hostility and everyone should delete it’

A few days ago, there was an article published that criticized Yik Yak, a social media app that has become popular on college campuses.

Yik Yak allows you to anonymously post your thoughts within a 200 character limit. As an avid Yik Yak user, I’ve seen posts ranging from the telling of a new engagement or different ways to relax after a long day of studying for midterms to Yik Yak users comforting one another when one of them has a rough day.

Yes, positivity is possible on Yik Yak.

I have used Yik Yak daily for a year and a half, and could not imagine my life without checking it a few times a day to see what everyone else on campus is up to. This is why I applied to and was accepted for the position of Yik Yak Campus Representative for the University of Iowa. When I saw the article suggesting Yik Yak was to blame for the actions of a few users, I knew I had to step in and set the record straight.

Firstly, Yik Yak should not be blamed for the nature of its users; the app cannot decide what to post and how to respond to posts, these actions lie in the hands of the user. Secondly, I realize that the world is not perfect and that there are still stereotypes and irrational hatred towards certain groups of people, but something can be done about that type of language on Yik Yak. If you feel that a post is hateful or discriminates against a certain group, you have the option to report the post. Additionally, if you notice that someone is posting ideas that you do not agree with, you can not only report the user but you can also mute that person so that you will never see their posts again.

Yakkers speak the truth!

The reason that Yik Yak does not work around middle school and high school campuses is because those students don’t know how to control themselves. Granted, even on college campuses, there are some people who still cannot control themselves that post inappropriate content, and these people are promptly reported. As Campus Rep, I am on Yik Yak very often checking posts to make sure that they do not violate any of the rules that Yik Yak has put in place to help make the app as enjoyable as possible. If a post violates a rule, that person is reported, no matter what.

Lastly, I believe that anyone who wants to download and use Yik Yak should be able to. Naturally, there will be some people who download the app and choose to abuse the power of anonymity, and these people will be reported and dealt with swiftly. If worst comes to worst, you hold the power to delete the app if you do not enjoy it for whatever reason.

I hope that the actions of a few users do not deter people from trying the app out, because it can be a great resource for staying connected on campus and staying connected to your peers.

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University of Iowa