Every student, professor and staff member here at Christopher Newport University has heard of the iconic social media app, YikYak, at least once in their time here. The platform has gained popular status on campus as an incognito forum to post discourse and opinions about current happenings on CNU grounds. All you have to do to join the secret circle is sign up with a university email address and share your innermost thoughts. However, this site has a harmful dark side to it, as comments expressing misogynist, racist, ableist, or outright scary sentiments are commonly found. Since students believe the app is fully faceless, they can share hateful viewpoints or false defamatory statements without consequence. Is YikYak somewhat helpful to the CNU community? In terms of finding pertinent information fast, CNU students seem to flock towards the media site for updates.
Originally created as a local community based social network by two college students themselves, the app operates on a GPS-based server that connects those in the same five mile radius in a “yak,”or a local grouping. The messages sent by users can be posted anonymously and thus visible to anyone within that distance. In 2017, the company was forced to take YikYak offline due to problematic content, but has thus been resurrected and rebranded as a “college centered app where anonymous users can create free discussion” according to Yik Yak’s website. Despite how successful the reemergence of the platform is currently among the younger generation, its scandalous reputation still remains.
Our institution has had to address YikYak controversies several times in the past. Last semester on Oct. 4, 2024, Kevin Hughes, Vice President of Student Affairs, sent a campus-wide email concerning prejudiced messages and threats made about fellow students’ race, gender, abilities and other characteristics. In full disclosure, I have never owned the app nor do I ever intend to, as I do not need a space full of negativity in my daily life (or adding to my screentime numbers). However, I have witnessed some of the highly “upvoted” posts from my friends’ phones and I can attest how heinous some comments can be. There have been instances where full student names have been dropped for negative gossiping purposes or a group of distinct people have been verbally attacked. Complaints or criticism often spike when a significant campus event is held, such as a PLP speaker, a fraternity party, or a club event (the speaker event comments are so disrespectful y’all). Whenever a dorm fire alarm sets off, you know a bunch of grumbling will occur in the online community.
As a whole, the campus should probably not be engaging in the snooping social network, as it is simply unhealthy to engage in hatred directed at your fellow peers. Cyberbullying is on the rise amongst universities and YikYak enables the act of harassment in its forum of “free expression.” The site is designed to prompt salacious opinions under the guise of anonymity (which isn’t wholly true as law enforcement and the corporation can track down your IP address). As CNU students specifically, we pride ourselves on our school community built on helpfulness, cordiality and accountability. We have an important reputation of being leaders with integrity… so continuing to perpetuate malicious lies on our online space is quite contradictory. CNU cannot force you to delete the app, as that would likely fall under infringement of free speech and personal property, therefore, the platform remains at large.
However, the Captains community could utilize the hyper-connected social media network for useful purposes. Despite the rampant bigoted messages and waves of very unusual random thoughts, students mainly view YikYak as a reputable source for information. Multiple students in need of roommates for the housing process have found their new living mates on the site. Individuals have given academic advice and guided others to find the help they need. A dutiful CNU student updates the student body on the weather everyday (shoutout to weather girl!) and another posts their original poetry. Clubs have even turned to marketing their upcoming events on the local yak page.
When there is a campus emergency or a mysterious incident occurring in the vicinity, YikYak is the first on the scene. Students spread first person accounts like a news interview, leading others to be updated and informed on what is happening in real time. Once at 3 a.m., the entire street of Warwick Boulevard experienced a power outage, and within seconds, students were reporting from different dorms to let others know it’s not them alone experiencing it. Hear a bump in the night? It is likely that a close peer will hear it too and attempt to get to the bottom of the enigma. If God forbid there ever were a terrible crisis where the campus would have to lockdown or evacuate for safety, I firmly believe that YikYak would be the first to catch on and notify students before an official police message could be drafted.
My personal consensus: Since we cannot ban the social platform entirely, our campus should try and produce the best content possible. Funny memes, investigative journalism and artistic pursuits should fill the feed instead of hate. I’d like to see more hilarious inside jokes on Yik Yak that only CNU students would understand. Or perhaps post more photos of your dog back at home! Let’s use the app for its beneficial purposes and bring the community together.