You’ve just finished your class in Forum and now you have 40 minutes before your class in Kern. What to do with such an awkward gap between nearby classes? Yik Yak of course! You nestle into a comfy little chair in the Kern lobby and tap on the cartoon ox icon on your phone to launch the app.
As your screen transforms into a stimulating feed, you become immersed in the thoughts of fellow Penn Staters. A slew of posts meets your eyes, addressing everything from the post-new year’s IM busyness to the newest dish on some random guy named Bret or Brad or Brody from Kappa Epsilon Gamma (KEG). The sorority and fraternity rush seasons have been prime Yik Yak fodder, and with THON and State Paddy’s Day right around the corner, you better believe the app will be coming in full force.
The Yik Yak Cycle
In the past few years, Yik Yak has seemed to follow an ebb-and-flow pattern. When there are ample events to occupy the minds of Penn State students, there is an onslaught of hot takes and passionate commentary on Yik Yak.
Influential moments in State College, like the current rush season, make students gravitate towards the app because people have a lot to say and crave the opinions of others. Yik Yak is a reflection of the human desire to connect through comedy, conversation and idea sharing.
And the seemingly best part of it all? Ideas are exchanged without a nametag attached. However, anonymity can breed issues and online hate. Is Yik Yak harmless, or is it detrimental to the way people perceive the goings-on of Penn State?
How Does Yik Yak Obscure the Perception of Our School?
Everyone knows that in the age of technology, where there is the opportunity for anonymous posting, misinformation and exaggeration are sure to follow suit. To some extent, this can be entertaining but at what point does the harmless joking turn harmful to one’s own thought process?
The negativity of Yik Yak can inflict a more pessimistic outlook on the viewer towards the school that they hold dear. It’s like that good ol’ saying goes, “You are what you eat.” As we consume negative content, our minds begin to make that our baseline. Our optimistic sparkle may begin to dim when our brains are flooded with only the bad things that happen in our community.
Is It Really That Deep?
You might be wondering why Yik Yak isn’t gone if it’s such a problematic service. It was even temporarily shut down in 2017 following some extreme posts by high school and college students, yet it lives on.
The app’s redeeming quality is the anonymity that allows for honesty and vulnerability from its users, which can lead to posts that are touching and innocently hilarious. To some extent, Yik Yak can act as a unifier between people who wouldn’t otherwise connect.
It can also be an equalizer because it gives people of any social standing or background equal footing to share their ideas.
Being immersed in the cold and dark months of winter can mean doom and gloom for some people, so the comedic relief and lightheartedness of Yik Yak is a welcome distraction.
At the end of the day, Yik Yak is a fun service as long as it isn’t taken too seriously or consumed in excess. Looking to the future, we can predict some great commentary on THON, State Paddy’s, and upcoming concerts at the BJC. Who doesn’t love hearing about State College news through the amusing and oftentimes questionable gaze of Yik Yak?
What are your thoughts on the resurgence of Yik Yak? Tag us @VALLEYmag on Instagram!
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