Is It A Good Thing Yik Yak Is So Popular On Campus?

Is It A Good Thing Yik Yak Is So Popular On Campus?

A new social media app is shaking things up at college campuses (and even a few high schools) across the United States.

Yik Yak, an anonymous messaging app that connects users within a certain geographical radius, was created for college students by college students. The app, which is the brainchild of two Furman University alums, has thus far been used to post everything from meaningless gossip to content with a more sinister twist, like sex tapes without consent and plots for various acts of violence.

In a conversation with HuffPost Live, a few of HuffPost’s college editors-at-large weighed in on the controversial new message board.

“You can see that there are inappropriate things or hurtful things [posted], and I think I just don’t want to get involved with that,” said University of Michigan junior Kalyani Sharma. “You can upvote certain pieces of gossip. Some are funny, but some are definitely detrimental. I'm not a huge fan.”

USC junior Judah Joseph said he doesn’t find the app quite as offensive, particularly if there is effective “self-policing” among its users.

“It’s definitely not a beacon of accomplishment for our generation,” Joseph said. “[But] there's very strict rules. You cannot use people’s names. You cannot be very clear about whom you are referring to. I think that once those rules are kind of in place, it is gossip, and I don’t think there's any merit to it, [but] I don’t think it’s necessarily detrimental on the other hand.”

While some schools have banned the use of the app, Joseph raised concerns over taking such dramatic steps.

"I think schools have the right to ban whatever they’d like on their own internet servers," Joseph said. "But I think for a school to ban it over a cellular network -- the use of this particular app -- is definitely an issue."

Hear more about the latest issues from various colleges and universities in a HuffPost Live conversation here.

Sign up here for Live Today, HuffPost Live's new morning email that will let you know the newsmakers, celebrities and politicians joining us that day and give you the best clips from the day before!

Before You Go

It Makes Us Generous

Why Gossip, Not Greed, Is Good

Close

What's Hot