Yik Yak may have been a fun, silly song in 1968, but now Yik Yak is another one of those apps on social network that can create havoc. The tag line on the app says: "Get a live feed of what everyone's saying around you." But it is really more like "Get a live feed of what everyone's saying ABOUT you!!!"
Teens love this app. It's anonymous, no profile or identity needed. Just download the app, keep it open and anyone else who has downloaded the app who is within 1 1/2 miles of you (think middle and high school buildings) can read what you post and vice versa. It was developed by two naive college students who thought it would be a fun app for college students who wanted to know what was going on around campus. But if I've learned anything about this new industry, many social networking apps are rarely used the way they were intended. Snap chat, Ask FM, Whisper, Confide and now Yik Yik seem to click into the underbellies of our personality. They take us to the dark side. Protected by anonymity, people un-edited can say anything they want about another person, safe from having to take any personal responsibility. It's the wild wild west of hate!
This article is very informative. This should be one of those apps your teen should not be allowed to download. Look on their phone for the furry buffalo-like animal icon....press delete!
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/technology/popular-yik-yak-app-confers-anonymity-and-delivers-abuse.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
Ugh, another one to worry about! Thanks for the heads-up, Joani!
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