Yik Yak

Yik Yak Cyberbullying Research Center image 2

UPDATE (04-2017): Yik Yak shut down.

UPDATE (12-2014): Please see my December 2014 follow-up blog on Yik Yak here after reading this entry.

There is a new cell phone application that is gaining notoriety at the speed of light among some groups of teens (as well as their teachers and parents). In essence, Yik Yak is pretty much a location-based anonymous Twitter feed. The free app allows users to post anonymous comments that can be viewed by anyone who is within 5 miles of the person who posted it. Or at least the 500 who are the closest. When installing the app, the user gets a warning message stating that the app contains mature material and is therefore only appropriate for users 17 and older. But that hasn’t stopped high school students in some cities from signing up in droves.

One can easily see the attraction for students in using this app: they can post nameless comments that others in their immediate vicinity can see. As such, it is perfectly tailored for a school environment. Often the comments are mundane observations for their classmates about what is going on around them. But they could include harassing messages, answers to tests, sexually explicit comments, hate speech, or bomb threats. Schools in Chicago and elsewhere have sent letters home to parents, educating them about the app, and imploring them to see to it that it is removed from their child’s phone. I appreciate the steps these principals are taking to inform parents, but wonder whether the effort will really result in fewer students using it.

Alternative to Facebook?

Teens are hungry for an online environment where they can interact and communicate that is outside the prying eyes of parents. Facebook is still by far the most popular social media environment for teens, but they don’t seem to visit the site as frequently, or for as long, as they once did. One reason for that is the fact that most parents (and grandparents and aunts and uncles and teachers) are on Facebook and can therefore see much of what teens are posting. So they are looking for an alternative place to hang out and communicate without adults looking over their virtual shoulders. Yik Yak has apparently served that purpose for some.

We were first alerted to the app a couple of weeks ago when we received a report through our website encouraging us to investigate it: “The amount of hateful comments is basically every other comment. It is too much to even report. Cyberbullying is already a huge problem today and the last thing we need is an anonymous app that allows one to do that. Soon Facebook, twitter, and other social medias will be the least of our worries when it comes to cyberbullying and suicide.”

We get these kinds of reports frequently and often the new app that is mentioned disappears before it can gain national attention. Something was different with this app. In just the last week or so, quite a few people have contacted us with questions about how to protect themselves and their schools from its potential wrath. Because cell phone apps and online environments are constantly changing, however, we suggest that, instead of focusing on banning a specific site or particular piece of technology, parents and educators should work to instill good values in their children and students so that they choose not to use them in ways that cause harm. Attacking particular applications to stop cyberbullying is a lot like trying to win a decent prize at the carnival by playing that whack-a-mole game. The odds are stacked against you. The target always shifts.

It’s Probably Not As Bad As We Think

Before getting too worked up about this latest “threat,” it is important that we keep some perspective. First of all, Yik Yak’s reach is still extremely small with only a couple hundred thousand users (compared to over 30 million on another popular and fear-inducing app: Snapchat). Second, we know from more than a decade’s worth of research that most teens are not misusing technology or mistreating others while online. Snapchat, for example gained infamy about a year ago as the “sexting app” because the images taken and sent using the app seemed to disappear after 10 seconds. Most teens realize that even though the image may no longer be visible on the 5-inch screen in front of them, it doesn’t mean it is really completely gone (despite implicit promises from the app itself). The vast majority of teens use Snapchat to send goofy, yet mostly harmless, selfie pictures to their friends and even though some will misuse it, they are in the minority.

The same is likely true for new apps like Yik Yak. Sure, the anonymous nature of the posts may embolden users to let down their guard and post things they normally wouldn’t say in a face-to-face interaction. But again, most teens are savvy enough at this point to realize that eventually it could come back around to them. In fact, there was already at least one example of a student being arrested for what was posted on the app. Moreover, unlike some sites and apps, it seems that the creators of Yik Yak are being responsive to the concerns of adults. According to the Chicago Tribune, company officials have agreed to disable the app in the Chicago area while schools attempt to get a handle on the significant problems created by it.

Time will tell whether Yik Yak will really catch on among teens (or the adults who were its original intended audience). One thing is for certain: this won’t be the last time we hear about an app that is creating problems among students in schools.

13 Comments

  1. I think you are letting the creators of Yik Yak and similar apps off too easily. Yes, “parents and educators should work to instill good values in their
    children and students so that they choose not to use them in ways that
    cause harm” but a multifaceted approach, crucial here, must include holding app developers and social network site owners accountable, too. The creators “are being responsive to the concerns of adults”?? Seriously? If that was their mindset, why would they create and market it in the first place in a way that allows easy override of any age limit?

  2. The continuous release of new apps targeting teen groups is very frustrating. As an educator and a parent, it is impossible to keep up with these apps. While I agree it is important to instill “good values”, I also agree with Dr.J. I believe there should be consequences for creators of apps that target our children. Isn’t the creation of apps such as these yet another form of harassment?

  3. Thank you for alerting me to this new app. As a high school teacher, I try and stay on top of the newest trends so as to create and maintain a safe learning environment for my students. The scary part of this app is the fact anyone can post anonymously. This will be a big plus for many students trying to do as you suggested and post so that adults cannot see what they are doing. I have not heard any students talking about this new app yet, but I am sure it is only a matter of time. I will use this information you provided and share it with my coworkers so they can be vigilant as well. Cyberbullying is a serious problem that can be overlooked by adults, but having students, parents and educators on the same team will hopefully create a safer online and offline world for our children.

  4. This app is TERRIBLE! Several girls at my school have wound up in the counselor’s office crying due to the extreme cyber-bullying this app allows for. In addition, negative comments have been posted about many people (including myself) at my school: teachers, friends, and acquaintances. The worst thing is that there isn’t much the school can do about it because the posting system is anonymous.

  5. To those who are saying that this app is completely harmless clearly live behind closed doors. If you were to step out into the tragic world of reality, you would realize how many people are being bullied on this app. I am a student in a high school and I have just learned of classmates and peers being harassed repeatedly on a day-to-day basis and it truly disgust me. There has already been several reports including, “In Mobile County, Ala., a 16-year-old and 14-year-old were arrested after three schools essentially shut down for a day because of threats posted on Yik Yak. One of the juveniles has been charged with making terroristic threats.” The two teens may have been arrested, but since the app is set anonymously, it is harder to track who is exactly saying what. If this app continues, suicide is inevitable and you will only blame yourself for not stopping this sooner. Hear my voice, make the right choice.

  6. I don’t want to see this app on the market anymore. They do nothing about the verbally abusive cyber bullying that goes on here. You cannot report any content you find abusive or referring over to bulling. Just today on this app people that attend my best friends school were posting and saying she is the slutiest girl there. And there were even comments saying she should kill herself. My best friend lives in a different town from me and I have no way of getting to her, she has attempted suicide before and what scares me is because of this stupid app she might just take that and say it’s her reason! I will not let this go! yik yak is an app created to allow cyber bullying, and so many other things we are trying to prevent! This app needs to go now!

  7. My daughter is being targeted by this app. People are not held accountable and can say anything they want. They continually attack her over and over using her name and now they are making suicidal remarks about “I just cant believe she has not slit her wrist” Who ever these cowards are attack over and over and over! No accountablility = cowards! Worst app out there and i will be taking this on personally!!!

  8. Right now this app is taking off like wild fire in our small town and there are so many of our youngsters that are being targeted on this app. This app needs to be removed and I DO NOT EVEN understand why someone would even come up with an app like this. We already have an issue with BULLYING and now this just adds more to the ATTACK!!! This app needs to be removed before lives are taken by bully/suicide!!!!

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