Freedom is something that is very important to Americans. Along with the right to bear arms, freedom of speech is what makes this country great, but is there such a thing as too much freedom?
Freedom is something that is often misunderstood and often abused. Yik Yak is a great example of this abuse.
Yik Yak is essentially a public/private diary, allowing anyone to post whatever they want at any time. You will be connected to the nearest corresponding board to you, and you can only post locally.
If you ever wanted to interact with people online while keeping your identity a secret, Yik Yak is the app for you.
I think it was actually a great idea for an app. However, I want to call attention to some of the people that use it.
There are plenty of people who use Yik Yak correctly. People will get on Yik Yak to distract themselves, like many other apps, or to ask a question they might not want to ask someone in person. For example:
“On a scale of 1-10, how bad is it to text a guy after a one night stand.”
This is one of the more “appropriate” posts on Yik Yak. Other examples are people complaining about classes or if anyone knows a good place to eat.
The real problem with this app is the amount of freedom you are given. If you have something to say, you can say it, regardless of the content. Here are a few examples of some of the inappropriate posts you will see on Yik Yak:
“So tired in class that I’m tempted to take a bump.”
Another example:
“F@&k the class I’m going to smoke some s#@t.”
These are just a few of the drug related posts I have seen. Everyday produces more of the same. Most of the posts you will see are people looking for sex, drugs, or an audience for their racist and inappropriate rants.
Dean Richards, a psychology instructor, addressed why people are attracted to anonymity. Richards cites a major reason being it frees them from social responsibility. When your identity is hidden, you are free to do what you please.
Apparently, when given freedom of choice, CSUN students prefer to act with vulgarity.
One of the good things Yik Yak did originally was not allow users to post pictures. Posting vulgar words is one thing, but pictures would be too much, and it wouldn’t be allowed, right?
Well in a sense that is correct, but in another sense, it isn’t. Yik Yak was not directly responsible. Freedom was.
That’s why we have CSUN’s Yik Yak Snapchat page.
This is the scourge of CSUN. The way it works is that users send in pictures or “Snaps” to the Yik Yak Snapchat page. I wish I could post the Snapchat page so everyone could see what I’m talking about, but because of the racy content, pages are constantly being deleted and started again under another name.
This, in of itself, should speak volumes about the contents of the page. The worst part is CSUN’s Yak page but, compared to other colleges, is quite timid.
For example, UCLA and UCSB’s Yak Snapchat pages were two of the most inappropriate scenes I’ve ever experienced. If it wasn’t people having sex, it was some guys snorting coke, or some stoner ripping a bong.
My problem is not with the app Yik Yak. I actually really like the app and find it to be very entertaining and a good way to waste time.
My problem is with the idiots that are using the app. Kids think they look so cool because they showed all their weed and bong in a picture and wrote “TURN UP 420.”
Our generation is far too concerned with what people think. If it will make you look cool, people are going to do it.
Apparently, acting like a delinquent is “what’s in,” along with locally grown produce, and craft beer. These are all fads, and they will eventually pass.
Yik Yak is not a bad app. The people that use it might not make the best decisions, but it is not a bad app. People are given too much freedom nowadays, and they don’t know how to behave with it.
