Yik Yak: the anonymous, location-based Reddit wannabe that has somehow survived the social media “Hunger Games” and clawed its way back into the phones of college students everywhere. For those of you blissfully unaware, Yik Yak is an app where you can post anonymous messages to people within a five-mile radius. In theory, it’s a great way to stay connected with campus life. In reality, it’s a chaotic mix of thirst traps, unhinged confessions and people complaining about the dining hall chicken.
So, is Yik Yak good or bad? I think it’s more complicated than that, so let’s break it down.
The Good: Campus culture and comedy
If you want real-time updates on what’s happening on campus, Yik Yak delivers. From live updates on frat parties getting busted to complaints about 8 a.m. lectures, it’s basically a crowdsource diary of student life.
On Yik Yak, you’ll see a variety of anonymous posts, including confessions like, ‘Got a 29% on the calc exam!!!’
Not only that, but some of the funniest, most unfiltered humor on campus exists here. It’s like a free comedy show that’s always running. Whether it’s someone ranking all the dorms based on their smell or an anonymous user confessing their deep, passionate love for the person who works at the campus Dunkin’, Yik Yak keeps us entertained.
The Bad: the wild west of opinions
Of course, the problem with anonymity is the fact that some people use it as an excuse to be the worst versions of themselves. While a lot of the posts are just harmless memes and jokes, there’s also a fair share of toxicity. It’s like giving a megaphone to every opinionated freshman who thinks they’re the main character. Drama spills faster than your Daily Grind coffee on a cobblestone walkway, and gossip spreads like the flu during midterms.
It also feeds unnecessary negativity. Have a bad professor? Expect them to be roasted on Yik Yak within hours. Hate your roommate? You’ll probably find a thread of other people agreeing with you. While some of it is light hearted, it can easily turn into a digital burn book.
The Ugly: unfiltered chaos and thirst posts
Then there’s the weird side of Yik Yak. Scroll long enough, and you’ll find some post that will have you questioning humanity. The classic ‘lustful and sad’ posts are always lurking.
It’s also a hub for anonymous flirting that’s more secondhand embarrassing than romantic. Someone always posts some variation of, ‘to the guy in chem who wears a backwards hat, please ruin my life.’ Like… What are you expecting? For him to read it and say, ‘oh yeah, that’s me, will do!’
My Final Verdict: YikYak is a trash fire, but It’s our trash fire
Yik Yak is messy. It’s dramatic. It’s sometimes toxic. But it’s also hilarious, wildly entertaining and a weirdly accurate snapshot of college life. Will it ever be a wholesome or productive app? Absolutely not. Will we all keep checking it between classes and pretending we don’t care about it? Absolutely.
So, Yik Yak: yay or nay? Let’s be real – it’s a necessary nay. We don’t love it, but as always, we’d be lying if we said we could quit whenever we wanted.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check if anyone’s talking about the girl who just ate it on the ice in front of the library (spoiler alert: they are).
