Yik Yak Gaining in Popularity

Yik+Yak+Gaining+in+Popularity

Caitlin Checkett, Staff Writer

There’s another social media app brewing, and this one is stirring up all kinds of fun.

Yik Yak is a mobile app that allows people to post anonymous “yaks” and then have other people vote up or down on them. All posts are categorized within a radius of a few miles from your location, which limits the interaction between you and your cousin in Kansas. This app is mostly student-based and gets the most hype at college campuses. People often post things about community events, local parties, and scandalous rumors about their History Professor; some might call it a digital bulletin board with a teenage twist.
The app was launched in 2013 by Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington, two graduates from Furman University. It tumblr_nmm8khGogl1u42p4wo1_500quickly became popular at local campuses, then started gaining momentum and users across the country. By the fall of 2014, Yik Yak was valued at over $350 million with over 1,000 colleges actively using the app.
Some areas are more active than others, but one feature of the app lets you “Peek” at other Yik Yak communities if your vicinity is lacking excitement. It’s kind of like sneaking out of that weird kid’s Pokemon-themed party to go to the beach with your friends. The default setting on the app displays the most recent posts at the top of the page, and older ones as you scroll farther down. There’s an option however, to switch to the “Hot” tab and view popular posts at the top of the page to avoid boring and/or irrelevant posts.

Users of Yik Yak primarily type sarcastic jokes and relatable thoughts; people use the app for sophomoric entertainment, not for reading about Obama’s latest update on healthcare. Teenagers unite with witty one-liners like “Bikini season is right around the corner…but so is Chipotle.” The shared content creates a sense of comfort and community among people who have similar problems. Nothing brings students together like a mutual hatred for midterms and PSBD (Post Spring Break Depression).

tumblr_static_tumblr_static__640Although a lot of the content people post is humorous and harmless, controversy has risen due to a growing cyber-bullying problem within the app. There have been multiple accounts of harassment on Yik Yak with threats of violence, hate crimes, and hurtful speculation. The creators recognized this problem however, and included updated safety precautions like geofencing- a feature that can “fence off” certain areas, making the app inaccessible for posting in that region. This prohibits persecutors (ahem, Regina George) from publicly victimizing other users.

Along with Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook, this app has taken social media by storm, engaging everybody in the Yik Yak frenzy. Some “yaks” have even gained widespread fame from their insubstantial yet amusing messages. It’s plausible however, that this app’s popularity is going to be short-lived due to its narrowly targeted audience of bored college students. For now at least, Yik Yak remains relevant, laughable, and anonymous for all you sarcastic trollers out there.

Here’s a few more “yaks” that you should read because, you know, they’re funny.
“It’s been ‘one of those days’ for like, 3 years now.”tumblr_nl64ws1Vsf1unrz6ko1_500

“HUGE TURN ON: When people are hot and smell good. Sometimes spicy. Wrapped in tinfoil. Are actually            burritos”
“When I die, I want my group project members to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time.”

“To the person who copied me on my exam earlier: we failed.”

“I had a project due on October 1st. Today I found out there is no September 31st.”