Swipe, swipe, swipe. We are the generation of technology, lying in our beds while we scroll through page after page of unnecessary updates, pictures, tweets and Yaks. Some are sweet, more are biting, yet, we continue to scroll. Why?
Could it be that we've become so comfortable with the anonymity the Internet affords us that openly rude and degrading comments spark absolutely no retaliation in any of us? Probably.
For those who are new to the app, Yik Yak is an anonymous forum with the aesthetics of a Twitter feed that allows users to post without account names or virtually any linkage to identity. Users' feeds will display "Yaks" - as the posts are called - within a five-mile radius, and the app includes an "upvote" and "downvote" feature for each Yak.
The issue with Yik Yak is not the forum itself, but rather the people posting on it. The idea behind a clean, simple bulletin board for college campuses has merit, but Yik Yak's creators have simply placed too much responsibility on the user. Because of its guaranteed anonymity, the app has devolved into a Formspring-esque place for booty calls, stolen Twitter jokes and racially and sexually degrading comments. Basically, we've reverted back to petty middle school bullying.
Despite the misplaced trust, the app's creators shouldn't be on the chopping block. We should be.
Most of us are moving past our teenage years, and our maturity should be kicking in to remind us that slander never helps anyone. We're given the opportunity every day to shout horrible things at passerbys, and yet we (usually) never take it. Just because we're provided a forum on which to post anonymously doesn't change the meaning or morality of what we're saying.
Sadly apparent is the strong presence of the Greek system on Yik Yak. Not only do sororities and fraternities reinforce the social barriers towards non-Greeks on campus, they also (often) bash each other. I'd like to think our Panhellenic spirit is sincere, but the Yaks might be proving otherwise. Some might say the negativity is all in jest, but it only takes one glance at a Yik Yak feed to find a post that could be taken too seriously.
We're all at an age where it's, frankly, dumb to be posting such insensitive things about our future coworkers, friends and and perhaps potential bosses. If nothing else, as leaders on our campus we should feel compelled to push past our stereotype of exclusivity, both from non-Greeks and from each other, and delete Yik Yak.
So what's taking us so long?! We could all use a few more hours a week away from our phones.
