Octobers, 2014 | The Clarion
Opinion
Page 3
Students debate YikYak
To ban
or -
Not to ban
By Gabrielle Smith
Copy Editor
So by now almost everyone on campus, both faculty and students, have
contemplated the e-mail sent last week about the mobile app “Yik Yak”. For
the few of you who don’t know what that is, Yik Yak is an app that allows
you to anonymously post short blurbs that can be seen and commented on by
people in your local area.
Of course, the reason this is so controversial is because our school took the
huge step of banning it from the BC domain. Now some of you may have
questioned why the school took this step or even wondered why it’s such a
big deal to begin with, and to that I say “look at the research”. Unsurprisingly,
we aren’t the first school, or even the first collegiate level institution to take
Back Top Yaks in My Area
Yik Yak Founded November 2013
335d ago
Yik Yak comes to BC!
90' ;o
this step. ••ooo Verizon 10:03 AM
Yik Yak made its first appearance in November of
last year, and within 5 months earned 1.5 million dol
lars in funding, and over 100,000 users in 3 months.
Basically, it was a hit. The idea was that college kids
would have a place to post uninhibited commentary
on “what really happens” on campus. You would no
longer have to hide your crappy sex life, your hung-
over shame, or the fact that you didn’t study for bio,
instead you yak about it. However, what started out
as a good idea, quickly took a turn for the worst.
Before I go any further. I’m going to give you a
few statistics to give you an idea of what the bigger
picture is here. Suicide is the third leading cause of
death among college aged youths, resulting in around
4,400 deaths annually. More adolescents die from
suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth
defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic
lung disease, combined. People who are the victims
of bullying are 2-9 times more likely to commit sui
cide, and 1 in every 3 people has been cyber bullied.
Cyberbullying is defined as “the use of electronic
communication to bully a person, typically by send- ago 4 r--”os
ing messages of an intimidating or threatening
nature.” By now you’re probably thin king “I never
threatened anyone”, however, the fact of the matter
is that a lot of people do. Also, Yik Yak is known for
having posts that are racist, sexist, homophobic, and demeaning overall. If you
don’t believe me, I took the time to post some yaks from local schools that
embody this type of behavior. “South Alabama kids are imbred and smell like
moldy water.” “If men cared about the rights of women, women would have
rights, because we have the ability to give them to you, we just don’t want to.”
“Fat girls in leggings... Look like pigs in a blanket.” “Do internationals think
American girls are whores???” “When did the term gay become LGBTQQIA?”
“Sociology is teaching me that everyone hates black people.”
Some of you might have read those and thought they were funny, but the fact
of the matter is that they were all somewhat offensive. A lot of hatred is being
spread over Yik Yak. People are using the app to sexually harass and prey on
others. However, the overwhelming show of ignorance and immaturity isn’t
the only issue. Recently, colleges have had to deal with students threatening
the safety of others. In both New Jersey and Indiana students have been ar-
See 'To ban' on Page 5
98
81
First Rule of Yik Yak: Do not bully or
specifically target other yakkers
21 d ago
Second Rule of Yik Yak: DO NOT bully
or specifically target other yakkers
d ago 72
Yik Yak has been banned on BC’s
campus
70
By Alex Webster
staff Writer
Do you yak a yik, or do you yik a yak? It is quite a mystery which is the
noun and which is the verb. I think you must yik a yak, but it’s a sensitive
subject for a lot of people. Urban dictionary offers some quality insight in
stating that Yik Yak is, “A mobile app college kids use to anonymously talk
[bad] and post witty things to people nearby.” The founders of Yik Yak state
that it is simply, “social messaging app for hyper-local engagement.” What
exactly does that mean, and how do people misuse it?
On a small eampus, the application was used as it would be on other
campuses, with mostly harmless fun with the occasional user needing to be
removed from the site, but it hit harder to home. It’s much easier to deduce
who someone is “yikking” or “yakking” about since
there are less than 800 students. The anonymity was
used more like a game of who could talk the biggest
game, and if you could figure out who they were
talking about. This created a big problem in places
like the cafeteria and other large gatherings because
it’s obvious when someone would say something
harmful and point out “the girl with the red shirt and
vans” or “the guy with the purple sweater and ripped
jeans”. At a bigger university, there would be more
people around that would fit that same description at
any given time.
The administration sent out an email on Sept. 25,
stating that yikyak.com and its mobile applications
would not be functional on the BC wireless network.
This is the first time that a social network or any
website comparable has been blocked from the
network. The Acceptable Use Policy states that,
“Harassment of other users may be the sending of
unwanted messages or files. Violations include, but
are not limited to interfering with the legitimate work
of another user, sending abusive or obscene messages,
viewing of materials that may be considered offensive
in a public setting, and using computer resources to
engage in abuse of other users.” Yik Yak isn’t an
application that was invented to be used for bullying-
the website even says as much, deleting a user if they
are reported for bullying or are using it inappropriately.
The administration didn’t take any action aside from blocking the site. There
was no warnings or suggestions prior to the cut-off of the social media site
and application. There has not yet been any information released further about
the issues and dangers of cyber bullying since the email that was sent out.
Syracuse University in Vermont has also had Yik Yak banned from the
campus. An article from “The Daily Orange” said, “The problem is not the
anonymous platform, but the people on it. Universities should concentrate
on the motivation [behind] offensive speech, not on limiting the platforms
it appears on.” It is true that there are so many other forms of social media
on which cyber bullying can occur, but blocking Yik Yak can be an effective
part of a solution. It cannot be our only answer, however. If all that happens
is that the Yik Yak craze at BC is over, that won’t fix the larger issue of
cyber bullying in general. There needs to be some way to discuss the issue
See 'Not to ban' on Page 5