Written by Katya Schwab '17
Published November 2014
Yik Yak has made it to Randolph, and the results aren’t all pretty. While most of the posts center around the food—an issue always at the forefront of college student’s concerns—) some users have taken the app to a whole new level of nasty. Although there are no confirmed cases, it is possible for extreme posts to violate the College’s bullying, harassment, and sexual misconduct policies.
Launched in 2013, Yik Yak’s founders originally looked to cater to college students, giving them an anonymous voice about life on campus. Huffington Post reporter Diana Graber wrote that Brooks Buffington and Tyler Droll, two recent graduates of Furman University, developed the app as an anonymous "virtual bulletin board,” to bring a voice to "that guy in the back row of your science class [who] might be the funniest guy you never hear."
Buffington told Graber in an interview that he and Droll recognized the maturity and responsibility the app would require to be used appropriately and admitted, “we were idealistic about who possessed that."
When the app first launched, many high school and middle school students flocked to the new social media that provided a platform for anonymous cyber-bullying; according to Fox News, Droll stated, “We’re proactively trying to keep high schoolers off the app.”
According to Graber, Yik Yak quickly reacted to the spread of bullying in high school and middle schools by restricting the age of Yik Yak users to 17+, giving parents the power to restrict the app from their children’s phones. Yik Yak also teamed up with Vermont company Maponics to create virtual walls around schools across the country that restrict the use of Yik Yak on or near elementary, middle, and high schools.
Droll also commented to Fox News that Yik Yak is “being used very well at colleges. We think that psychologically high schoolers aren’t ready to use our app.”
However, colleges are also experiencing difficulty with the app and ensuring its appropriate use on campus. Some Yik Yak users at RC keep posts relatively lighthearted, such as a post from a Skeller employee: “Fun Fact: Staring at us while we make your food will not cause your food to cook any faster.” (Unfortunately this was the funniest one that I managed to find from our campus so far, but I will keep my eyes peeled!)
Other posts are downright insensitive. Sarah Sirker, a resident assistant in Webb Hall, discovered the nasty side of Yik Yak when some residents voiced concerns about posts directed at students living in Webb. Sirker adamantly voiced her opinion that the posts on Yik Yak are “morally repugnant.”
Rumors have circulated that some Yik Yak posts have violated the sexual misconduct policy. While Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life Ben Foster did not confirm or deny such rumors, he commented, “Any Yik Yak posts found to discriminate against another student on the basis of gender would violate our sexual misconduct policy.”
He continued to explain the repercussions of such posts explaining that, even though users are anonymous, reports would be treated identically to any other source of information; DOS would attempt to identify the parties involved and reach out to any potential victim following the standard process under the bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct policies. Dean Foster explained, “Students found responsible for violating these policies can face separation from the institution or suspension, in addition to educational sanctions.”
According to Yik Yak’s policies, they reserve the right to “disclose the information we collect from you where we believe it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person, violations of our Terms of Use or this Policy, or as evidence in litigation in which Yik Yak is involved.”
Yik Yak also places all the responsibility for the content of each post, “including its legality, reliability and appropriateness,” on its users. By agreeing to Terms of Service, users have also agreed not to “defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others,” “use racially or ethnically offensive language,” “or discuss or incite illegal activity.”
According to USA Today, other colleges that have struggled with harassment on Yik Yak have shut the app down on their campus including schools in Chicago, New Mexico and Norwich University in Vermont.
Dean Foster commented about Randolph’s ability to block Yik Yak on campus: “The College must be cautious with issues concerning a fundamental right like free speech. We cannot write any policy that would infringe on student rights, but we can remind our students that harassment and bullying are not protected speech or actions; no matter the platforms students choose, such behaviors are serious violations and, in some cases, crimes.”
Yik Yak is not the first social media platform to spread malicious sentiments around campus. Last year, the College dealt with issues on a different social media platform with anonymous Twitter accounts. “Students need to hold each other accountable…we all need to strive to be better people,” said Dean Foster, “We have to send a clear message about the kind of community we want here at Randolph.”
Together, Randolph students can build a positive and supportive community by channeling social media as a positive outlet. We can only hope that Yik Yak will be the last platform used to spread malicious messages behind the red brick wall.
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