If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything. Does this idea still apply if no one knows who YOU are? Rather than trying to be nice, maybe the real reason we aren’t saying anything is because we are scared. Welcome to Yik-Yak: an app for the fearful, the flirty, and those who desperately want to be heard. Yik-Yak allows people to communicate with those around them via anonymous posts. In fact, any mention of a name and the post gets deleted. This nameless society is like the craigslist of hook-ups, parties, and news sharing. So with your app in hand, let’s explore UP’s mysterious community: Yik-Yak.
Flirting
Remember the good ole days of boy meets girl and boy gets girl’s number? Me neither. We live in a world of swiping right and clicking like. Yik-Yak feeds off of this trend. On any given Friday night I can see provocative posts of people looking for “a good time”. With no idea of who is replying, people exchange room numbers and locations to meet up. More often than not, the person behind the response doesn’t even live in Mehling Hall, Kenna, or what have you. More often than not, the person responding is someone in the library on a study break looking to create some havoc.
Parties
Again let’s say it’s Friday night and I’m in my room watching Gilmore Girls. From the comfort of my dorm room, I have limitless information of where all the parties are. Anyone who has this app has access to this information. This “anyone” could even be our campus’s Public Safety Office. Busting noise complaints and underage drinking has never been so easy.
Calling Each Other Out
Is someone being too noisy at the library? Post about it. Small food portions at the Commons? Make a post. That one guy who should be wearing a shirt at the gym, isn’t? Post it. The app allows students to air all of their grievances without fear of being judged.
Supporting Each Other
Though Yik-Yak is usually a very disturbing community, but at times it can be equally supportive. College can be lonely. A good chunk of the posts are from people who miss their parents. Some people flunked a test and feel lost. Others are having a hard time finding friends. The great thing about being at UP is that people typically care about one another. In comment section of these posts you can find heartfelt replies. “You matter to me”, one will say. “Hang in there! I felt the same way as a freshman”, is another typical response.
Spreading UP News
When you want to know what’s going on around campus where do you check first? The school website, Facebook, a bulletin board? I check Yik-Yak. It’s the easiest way for me to find free food, know if an event is going to be any good, or to know how I should navigate the ridiculously crowded commons. The possibilities are endless.
At the University of Portland, Yik-Yak can do a lot of good and it can do a lot of bad. What I didn’t realize coming to the Bluff is how important it is when it comes to understanding the college student life. When I was getting ready for my move here I made sure I had a shower caddy, good headphones, and a desk lamp. What’s on my list now? Yik-Yak.